
(Frontispiece.) 



Srafcfc aito MmMtm 



NORTH and CENTRAL AFRICA. 



Sounml of nn dExprttitum 



UNDERTAKEN 



UNDER THE AUSPICES OF H. B. IL'S GOVERNMENT. 



IN TITE YEARS 



1849 — 185^. 



BY 

HENRY BARTH, Ph. D., D. C. L., 

FELLOW OF THE ROTAL GEOGRAPHICAL AND ASIATIC SOCIETIES, ETC. ETC. 



WITH 



NOTES AND EXTRACTS FROM MR. RICHARDSON'S ACCOUNT OF 

THE EXPEDITION, AND A SKETCH OF DENHAM 

AND CLAPPERTON'S EXPEDITION, 

BY 

THE AMERICAN EDITOR 




PHILADELPHIA: 
J. W. BRADLEY, 

48 NORTH FOURTH STREET. 
1859. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S59, by 

J. W. BRADLEY, 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Eastern District 

of Pennsylvania. 

STEREOTYPED BT J. FAQAN. 






\ J 



I 



2 3 ' 






ADVERTISEMENT OF THE PUBLISHER. 



The extraordinary success of the cheap and popular edition of 
Dr. Livingston's Travels in South Africa, has suggested to the pub- 
lisher the propriety of issuing a similar edition of Dr. Barth's Travels 
in North Central Africa, as a suitable companion and supplement to 
the former work. 

The English edition of Dr. Barth's Travels fills five octavo volumes, 
and the cost is between twenty-five and thirty dollars. The author's 
reasons for issuing the work in this voluminous and expensive form 
are readily seen. His favorite object is the advancement of discovery 
in Africa ; and wishing to render his work as useful as possible to 
all future travellers in the regions which he visited, he appears to 
have published the greater part of his entire journal for a period of 
more than five years. In it are noticed the incidents of travel from 
day to day and from week to week, with rather minute descriptions 
of monuments, mountains, rivers, deserts, rocks, and trees seen on 
the route, as well as the important transactions of the expedition, 
and the accounts of great cities and nations, their manners, customs, 
costumes, religion, government, finances, commerce, laws, &c. 

Now, for the travellers who are to succeed Dr. Barth, and for 
scientific inquirers, this minute journal is exactly what is wanted ; and 
such persons can well afford to pay for it. But with the general 
reading public it is quite the reverse. The general reader desires to 
know where Dr. Barth went, what new discoveries he made, what he 
saw, what dangers, difficulties, perils, and adventures he went 
through, and what, on the whole, was accomplished by the expedi- 
tion ; but, on the other hand, ordinary readers are not willing for 
this purpose to pay twenty-five or thirty dollars and wade through 
five octavo volumes of journal and itinerary, such as future travellers 
in Africa and scientific inquirers will most desire. 

1* (v) 



VI ADVERTISEMENT OF THE PUBLISHER. 

To meet the public demand for a more concise account of Br. 
Barth\s Travels, this volume has been prepared. It gives almost 
entirely in the author's own words all the really important and in- 
teresting portion of his journal ; and omits uninteresting details. It 
also comprises extracts from Mr. Richardson's journal of the expe- 
dition, and a brief notice of the discoveries of Denham and Clapperton. 

In this form it will be found an exceedingly entertaining and in- 
structive book. The readers of Dr. Livingstone's travels will recollect 
that his researches extended, chiefly among pagan nations, across 
South Central Africa, to within eight degrees south of the equator. 
Br. Barth's researches extended over a considerable portion of North 
Central Africa, to within eight degrees north of the equator, and his 
intercourse was with Mohammedans and pagans — the former being 
the predominant power. With many points of similarity, there are 
very striking points of difference in the two works. Br. Livingstone 
for the most part was alone among pagan savages, Br. Barth had 
companions and attendants, and his intercourse was chiefly with 
Mohammedans living in great cities and possessed of a certain 
amount of learning and civilization. 

Br. Livingstone was a Scotch physician and missionary who had 
long resided in Africa, and had some knowledge of African languages 
and of natural science, and he undertook his wonderful journey on 
his own responsibility. Br. Barth was a German scholar, a great 
linguist and antiquarian, who had travelled already in Africa, and 
was attached to a public expedition under the British government, 
led by Mr. Richardson at the outset, but after Mr. Richardson's 
death, completed by himself. Both Livingstone and Barth exhibited 
the most extraordinary courage, perseverance, presence of mind, and 
contempt of danger and of death. Both made additions to our 
knowledge of Interior Africa, which are universally recognised as 
of immense importance to the future well-being of Africa as well as 
to the advancement of the world's commerce, and the interests of 
humanity. The two works should be read in succession. 



PREFACE. 



On the 5th of October, 1849, at Berlin, Professor Carl 
Hitter informed me that the British government was about to 
send Mr. Richardson on a mission to Central Africa, and that 
they had offered, through the Chevalier Bunsen, to allow a 
German traveller to join the mission, provided he was willing 
to contribute two hundred pounds for his own personal travel- 
ling expenses. 

I had commenced lecturing at the University of Berlin on 
comparative geography and the colonial commerce of an- 
tiquity, and had just at that time published the first volume of 
my "Wanderings round the Mediterranean," which comprised 
my journey through Barbary. Having undertaken this jour- 
ney quite alone, I spent nearly my whole time with the Arabs, 
and familiarized myself with that state of human society where 
the camel is man's daily companion, and the culture of the 
date-tree his chief occupation. I made long journeys through 
desert tracts ; I travelled all around the Great Syrtis, and, 
passing through the picturesque little tract of Cyrenaica, tra- 
versed the whole country toward Egypt ; I wandered about 
for above a month in the desert valleys between Aswan and 
Koser, and afterward pursued my journey by land all the way 
through Syria and Asia Minor to Constantinople. 

While traversing these extensive tracts, where European 
comfort is never altogether out of reach, where lost supplies 
may be easily replaced, and where the protection of European 
powers is not quite without avail, I had often cast a wistful 
look toward those unknown or little-known regions in the inte- 
rior, which stand in frequent, though irregular connection with 

( vii ) 



V1U PREFACE. 

the coast. As a lover of ancient history, I had been led 
toward those regions rather through the commerce of ancient 
Carthage than by the thread of modern discovery, and the 
desire to know something more about them acted on me like a 
charm. In the course of a conversation I once held with a 
Hausa slave in Kaf, in the regency of Tunis, he, seeing the 
interest I took in his native country, made use of the simple 
but impressive words, "Please God, you shall go and visit 
Kano. " These words were constantly ringing in my ears; 
and though overpowered for a time by the vivid impressions 
of interesting and picturesque countries, they echoed with re- 
newed intensity as soon as I was restored to the tranquillity 
of European life. 

During my three years' travelling I had ample opportunity 
of testing the efficacy of British protection ; I experienced the 
kindness of all her Britannic majesty's consuls from Tangiers 
to Brusa, and often enjoyed their hospitality. It was solely 
their protection which enabled me to traverse with some degree 
of security those more desert tracts through which I wandered. 
Colonel Warrington, her majesty's consul in Tripoli, who seems 
to have had some presentiment of my capabilities as an African 
explorer, even promised me his full assistance if I should try 
to penetrate into the interior. Besides this, my admiration of 
the wide extensiou of the British over the globe, their influence, 
their language, and their government, was such that I felt a 
strong inclination to become the humble means of carrying out 
their philanthropic views for the progressive civilization of the 
neglected races of Central Africa. 

Under these circumstances, I volunteered cheerfully to ac- 
company Mr. Richardson, on the sole condition, however, that 
the exploration of Central Africa should be made the princi- 
pal object of the mission, instead of a secondary one, as had 
been originally contemplated. 

In the mean time, while letters were interchanged between 
Berlin, London, and Paris (where Mr. Richardson at that time 
resided), my father, whom I had informed of my design, en- 
treated me to desist from my perilous undertaking with an ear- 



PREFACE. IX 

nestness which my filial duty did not allow me to resist; and 
giving way to Dr. Overweg, who in youthful enthusiasm eaine 
immediately forward to volunteer, I receded from my engage- 
ment. But it was too late, my offer having been officially ac- 
cepted in London ; and I therefore allayed my father's anxiety, 
and joined the expedition. 

It was a generous act of Lord Palmerston, who organized 
the expedition, to allow two foreign gentlemen to join it in- 
stead of one. A sailor was besides attached to it ; and a boat 
was also provided, in order to give full scope to the object of 
exploration. The choice of the sailor was unfortunate, and 
Mr. Richardson thought it best to send him back from Murzuk ; 
but the boat, which was carried throughout the difficult and 
circuitous road by Murzuk, Ghat, Air, and Zinder, exciting 
the wonder and astonishment of all the tribes in the interior, 
ultimately reached its destination, though the director of 
the expedition himself had in the meanwhile unfortunately 
succumbed. 

Government also allowed us to take out arms. At first it 
had been thought that the expedition ought to go unarmed, in- 
asmuch as Mr. Richardson had made his first journey to Ghat 
without arms. Button that occasion he had gone as a private 
individual, without instruments, without presents, without any- 
thing ; and we were to unite with the character of an expe- 
dition that of a mission — that is to say, we were to explore 
the country while endeavoring at the same time to establish 
friendship with the chiefs and rulers of the different territories. 
It may be taken for granted that we should never have crossed 
the frontier of Air had we been unarmed ; and when I entered 
upon my journey alone, it would have been impossible for me 
to proceed without arms through countries which are in a con- 
stant state of war, where no chief or ruler can protect a tra- 
veller except with a large escort, which is sure to run away as 
soon as there is any real danger. 

It may be possible to travel without arms in some parts of 
Southern Africa; but there is this wide difference, that the 
natives of the latter are exclusively Pagans, while, along all 



X PREFACE. 

those tracts which I have been exploring, Islamism and Pagan- 
ism are constantly arrayed against each other in open or secret 
warfare, even if we leave out of view the unsafe state of the 
roads through large states consisting, though loosely connected 
together, of almost independent provinces. The traveller in 
such countries must carry arms ; yet he must exercise the 
utmost discretion in using them. As for myself, I avoided 
giving offence to the men with whom I had to deal in peaceful 
intercourse, endeavoring to attach them to me by esteem and 
friendship. I have never proceeded onward without leaving a 
sincere friend behind me, and thus being sure that, if obliged 
to retrace my steps, I might do so with safety. 

But I have more particular reason to be grateful for the 
opinion entertained of me by the British government ; for after 
Mr. Richardson had, in March, 1851, fallen a victim to the 
noble enterprise to which he had devoted his life, her majesty's 
government honored me with their confidence, and in autho- 
rizing me to carry out the objects of the expedition, placed 
sufficient means at my disposal for the purpose. The position 
in which I was thus placed must be my excuse for undertaking, 
after the successful accomplishment of my labors, the difficult 
task of relating them in a language not my own. 

In matters of science and humanity all nations ought to be 
united by one common interest, each contributing its share in 
proportion to its own peculiar disposition and calling If I 
have been able to achieve something in geographical discovery, 
it is difficult to say how much of it is due to English, how 
much to German influence ; for science is built up of the mate- 
rials collected by almost every nation, and, beyond all doubt, 
in geographical enterprise in general none has done more than 
the English, while, in Central Africa in particular, very little 
has been achieved by any but English travellers. Let it not, 
therefore, be attributed to an undue feeling of nationality if I 
correct any error of those who preceded me. It would be un- 
pardonable if a traveller failed to penetrate further, or to obtain 
a clearer insight into the customs and the polity of the nations 
visited by him, or if he were unable to delineate the country 



PREFACE. XI 

with greater accuracy and precision than those who went 
before him. 

Every succeeding traveller is largely indebted to the labors 
of his predecessor. Thus our expedition would never have 
been able to achieve what it did, if Oudney, Denham, and 
Clapperton had not gone before us ; nor would these travellers 
have succeeded so far, had Lyon and Ritchie not opened the 
road to Fezzan ; nor would Lyon have been able to reach 
Tejerri, if Captain (now Rear Admiral) Smyth had not shown 
the way to Ghirza. To Smyth, seconded by Colonel War- 
rington, is due the merit of having attracted the attention of 
the British government to the favorable situation of Tripoli 
for facilitating intercourse with Central Africa ; and if at pre- 
sent the river-communication along the Tsadda or Benuwe 
seems to hold out a prospect of an easier approach to those 
regions, the importance of Tripoli must not be underrated, for 
it may long remain the most available port from which a steady 
communication with many parts of that continent can be 
kept up. 

I had the good fortune to see my discoveries placed on a 
stable basis before they were brought to a close, by the astro- 
nomical observations of Dr. Yogel, who was sent out by her 
Britannic majesty's government for the purpose of joining the 
expedition ; and I have only to regret that this gentleman was 
not my companion from the beginning of my journey, as exact 
astronomical observations, such as he has made, are of the 
utmost importance in any geographical exploration. By 
moving the generally-accepted position of Kukawa more than 
a degree to the westward, the whole map of the interior has 
been changed very considerably. The position assigned by 
Dr. Yogel to Zinder gives to the whole western route, from 
Ghat through the country of A'sben, a well-fixed terminating 
point, while at the same time it serves to check my route to 
Timbuktu. If, however, this topic be left out of considera- 
tion, it will be found that the maps made by me on the journey, 
under many privations, were a close approximation to the 
truth. But now all that pertains to physical features and geo- 



Xll PREFACE. 

graphical position has been laid down, and executed with 
artistic skill and scientific precision, by Dr. Peterman. 

The principal merit which I claim for myself in this respect 
is that of having noted the whole configuration of the country ; 
and my chief object has been to represent the tribes and nations 
with whom I came in contact, in their historical and ethno- 
graphical relation to the rest of mankind, as well as in their 
physical relation to that tract of country in which they live. 
If, in this respect, I have succeeded in placing before the eyes 
of the public a new and animated picture, and connected those 
apparently savage and degraded tribes more intimately with 
the history of races placed on a higher level of civilization, I 
shall be amply recompensed for the toils and dangers I have 
gone through. 

My companion, Dr. Overweg, was a clever and active young 
geologist ; but, unfortunately, he was deficient in that general 
knowledge of natural science which is required for comprehend- 
ing all the various phenomena occurring on a journey into un- 
known regions. Having never before risked his life on a dan- 
gerous expedition, he never for a moment doubted that it 
might not be his good fortune to return home in safety, and he 
therefore did not always bestow that care upon his journal 
which is so desirable in such an enterprise. Nevertheless, 
almost all his observations of latitude have been found correct, 
while his memoranda, if deciphered at leisure, might still yield 
a rich harvest. 

One of the principal objects which her Britannic majesty's 
government had always in view in these African expeditions 
was the abolition of the slave-trade. This, too, was zealously 
advocated by the late Mr. Richardson, and, I trust, has been 
as zealously carried out by myself whenever it was in my power 
to do so, although, as an explorer on a journey of discovery, I 
was induced, after mature reflection, to place myself under the 
protection of an expeditionary army, whose object it was to 
subdue another tribe, and eventually to carry away a large pro- 
portion of the conquered into slavery. Now it should always 
be borne in mind that there is a broad distinction between the 



PREFACE. X1U 

slave-trade and domestic slavery. The foreign slave-trade 
may, comparatively speaking, be easily abolished, though the 
difficulty of watching over contraband attempts has been 
shown sufficiently by many years' experience. With the aboli- 
tion of the slave-trade all along the northern and southwestern 
coast of Africa, slaves will cease to be brought down to the 
coast, and in this way a great deal of the mischief and misery 
necessarily resulting from this inhuman traffic will be cut off. 
But this, unfortunately, forms only a small part of the evil. 

There can be no doubt that the most horrible topic connected 
with slavery is slave-hunting ; and this is carried on, not only 
for the purpose of supplying the foreign market, but, in a far 
more extensile degree, for supplying the wants of domestic 
slavery. Hence it was necessary that I should become ac- 
quainted with the real state of these most important features 
of African society, in order to speak clearly about them ; for 
with what authority could I expatiate on the horrors and the 
destruction accompanying such an expedition if I were not 
speaking as an eyewitness ? But having myself accompanied 
such a host on a grand scale, I shall be able to lay before 
the public a picture of the cheerful comfort, as well as the 
domestic happiness, of a considerable portion of the human 
race, which, though in a low, is not at all in a degraded state 
of civilization, as well as the wanton and cruel manner in 
which this happiness is destroyed, and its peaceful abodes 
changed into desolation. Moreover, this very expedition 
afforded me the best opportunity of convincing the rulers of 
Bornu of the injury which such a perverse system entails upon 
themselves. 

But, besides this, it was of the utmost importance to visit 
the country of the Miisgu ; for while that region had been 
represented by the last expedition as an almost inaccessible 
mountain chain, attached to that group which Major Denham 
observed on his enterprising but unfortunate expedition with 
Bd-Khalum, I convinced myself on my journey to A'damawa, 
from the information which I gathered from the natives, that 
the mountains of Mandara are entirely insulated toward 
2 



XIV PREFACE. 

the east. I considered it, therefore, a matter of great geo- 
graphical importance to visit that country, which, being situ- 
ated between the rivers Shari and Benuwe, could alone afford 
the proof whether there was any connection between these two 
rivers. 

I shall have frequent occasion to refer, in my journal, to 
conversations which I had with the natives on religious sub- 
jects. I may say that I have always avowed my religion, and 
defended the pure principles of Christianity against those of 
Islam ; only once was I obliged, for about a month: in order 
to carry out my project of reaching Timbuctu, to assume the 
character of a Moslim. Had I not resorted to this expedient, 
it would have been absolutely impossible to achieve such a pro- 
ject, since I was then under the protection of no chief what- 
ever, and had to pass through the country of the fanatic and 
barbarous hordes of the Tawarek. But though, with this sole 
exception, I have never denied my character of a Christian, I 
thought it prudent to conform to the innocent prejudices of the 
people around me — adopting a dress which is at once better 
adapted to the climate and more decorous in the eyes of the 
natives. One great cause of my popularity was the custom 
of alms-giving. By this means I won the esteem of the natives, 
who took such a lively interest in my well-being that, even 
when I was extremely ill, they used to say, u 'Abd el Kerim* 
shall not die." 

Of the first part of our expedition there has already appeared 
the Narrative of the late Mr. Richardson, published from his 
manuscript journals, which I was fortunately able to send home 
from Kiikawa. It is full of minute incidents of travelling 
life, so very instructive to the general reader. But, from my 
point of view, I had to look very differently at the objects 
which presented themselves; and Mr. Richardson, if he had 
lived to work out his memoranda himself, would not have failed 
to give to his journal a more lasting interest. Moreover, my 

* "'Abd el Kerim," meaning "Servant of the Merciful," was the 
name which I thought it prudent to adopt. 



PREFACE. XV 

stay in A'gades afforded me quite a different insight into the 
life, the history, and geography of those regions, and brought 
me into contact with Timbxictu. 

Extending over a tract of country of twenty -four degrees 
from north to south, and twenty degrees from east to west, in 
the broadest part of the continent of Africa, my travels neces- 
sarily comprise subjects of great interest and diversity. 

After having traversed vast deserts of the most barren soil, 
and scenes of the most frightful desolation, I met with fertile 
lands irrigated by large navigable rivers and extensive central 
lakes, ornamented with the finest timber, and producing vari- 
ous species of grain, rice, sesamum, ground-nuts, in unlimited 
abundance, the sugar-cane, &c, together with cotton and 
indigo, the most valuable commodities of trade. The whole 
of Central Africa, from Bagirmi to the east as far as Timbuctu 
to the west (as will be seen in my narrative), abounds in these 
products. The natives of these regions not only weave their 
own cotton, but dye their home-made shirts with their own 
indigo. The river, the far-famed Niger, which gives access to 
these regions by means of its eastern branch, the Benuwe, 
which I discovered, affords an uninterrupted navigable sheet 
of water for more than six hundred miles into the very heart 
of the country. Its western branch is obstructed by rapids at 
the distanee of about three hundred and fifty miles from the 
coast ; but even at that point it is probably not impassable in 
the present state of navigation, while, higher up, the river 
opens an immense high-road for nearly one thousand miles into 
the very heart of Western Africa, so rich in every kind of pro- 
duce. 

The same diversity of soil and produce which the regions 
traversed by me exhibit, is also observed with respect to man. 
Starting from Tripoli in the north, we proceed from the settle- 
ments of the Arab and the Berber, the poor remnants of the 
vast empires of the middle ages, into a country dotted with 
splendid ruins from the period of the Roman dominion, through 
the wild roving hordes of the Tawarek, to the Negro and half- 
Negro tribes, and to the very border of the South African 



XVI PREFACE. 

nntions. In the regions of Central Africa there exists not one 
and the same stock, as in South Africa, but the greatest diver- 
sity of tribes, or rather nations, prevails, with idioms entirely 
distinct. 

The great and momentous struggle between Islamism and 
Paganism is here continually going on, causing every day the 
most painful and affecting results, while the miseries arising 
from slavery and the slave trade are here revealed in their most 
repulsive features. We find Mohammedan learning ingrafted 
on the ignorance and simplicity of the black races, and the 
gaudy magnificence and strict ceremonial of large empires side 
by side with the barbarous simplicity of naked and half-naked 
tribes. We here trace a historical thread which guides us 
through this labyrinth of tribes and overthrown kingdoms ; 
and a lively interest is awakened by reflecting on their possible 
progress and restoration, through the intercourse with more 
civilized parts of the world. Finally, we find here commerce 
in every direction radiating from Kano, the great emporium of 
Central Africa, and spreading the manufactures of that indus- 
trious region over the whole of Western Africa. 

I can not conclude these prefatory remarks without express- 
ing my sincere thanks for the great interest shown in my pro- 
ceedings by so many eminent men in this country, as well as 
for the distinction of the Victoria medal awarded to me by the 
Royal Geographical Society. As I may flatter myself that, 
by the success which attended my efforts, I have encouraged 
further undertakings in these, as well as in other quarters of 
Africa, so it will be my greatest satisfaction if this narrative 
should give a fresh impulse to the endeavors to open the fer- 
tile regions of Central Africa to European commerce and 
civilization.* 

* Dr. Barth, in his narrative, frequently refers to the expedition of 
Denham and Clapperton (which he calls "the former expedition,") as 
though its history were familiar to his readers. As this is not the case 
with a great majority of readers, we have thought it advisable to give an 
outline of what was accomplished by these gentlemen in the way of geo- 
graphical discovery. 



£ PREFACE. Xvii 

The persons selected by the British government for this mission to 
Central Africa, were Major Denham, Lieutenant Clapperton of the army, 
and Dr. Oudney, a naval surgeon, conversant with natural history. They 
arrived at Murzuk, the capital of Fezzan, on the 8th of April, 1822. 
They left this place in November, and reached Lake Tsad on the 5th of 
February, 1823. On the 17th of February they arrived at Kuka, the 
capital of Bornu, then ruled by the Sheikh el Kanemy, who received 
them kindly, and permitted them to observe the country and its people. 
During their residence here, Major Denham imprudently joined Boo 
Khaloom, a native chief, in a slave hunting expedition against the Fela- 
tahs ; the result of which was, that Boo Khaloom himself was defeated 
and killed, and Major Denham, after being stripped naked by the con- 
querors, barely escaped with his life. 

On the 14th of December, 1823, Captain Clapperton and Dr. Oudney 
set out for Kano in Sudan, but Dr. Oudney, whose health had been fail- 
ing, died on the 12th of January, 1824. Clapperton reached Kano, and 
thence proceeded to Sokoto, the residence of Sultan Bello, by whom he 
was favorably received. After a residence of several months in this 
place, Clapperton returned through Kashna, and on the 8th of July, 1824, 
arrived in Kuka, to which place, ten days later, Major Denham returned 
from a journey round Lake Tsad. On the 16th of August, 1824, the tra- 
vellers left Kuka, and arrived at Tripoli on the 25th of January, 1825. 

Clapperton, now promoted to the rank of captain, was equipped for a 
second expedition; and on the 7th of September, 1825, accompanied by 
Dr. Morrison and Captain Pearce, departed from Rodagry for the inte- 
rior of Africa. In less than a month, Clapperton's two companions died ; 
and he had no associate left but his faithful servant, Richard Lander. 
Sixty miles from the coast, he entered the kingdom of Yarriba, and was 
kindly received at its capital, Eyeo, or Katunga. He then visited 
Boussa, the scene of Muugo Park's death, and the kingdom of Zegzeg, 
the capital of which, Zaria, contained, by his computation, 50,000 in- 
habitants. 

Clapperton at length arrived at Sokoto, where he found the Sultan no 
longer friendly. He knew that the English traveller was the bearer of a 
present to the Sheikh of Bornu, containing, among other articles, six 
muskets ; and as he was at war with the Sheikh, this was deemed a sus- 
picious circumstance. Clapperton's spirits were depressed. He soon 
fell sick, and expired on the 13th of April. Sultan Bello was somewhat 
affected by his death, and permitted Lander to perform his fifceral ob- 
sequies with every mark of respect. After an unsuccessful attempt to 
trace the Niger to its outlet, Lander found his way to Badagry, on the 
coast, November 21, 1827. 

In the first of these expeditions, Denham and Clapperton, from the 
2* B 



XV111 PREFACE. • 

east side of Lake Tsad (long. 17°), to Sokoto (long. 5£°), explored a 
distance of 700 miles from east to west in the heart of Africa, a distance 
of 400 miles only remaining unknown, from Silla to Sokoto. But the 
second journey of Captain Clapperton added tenfold value to these dis- 
coveries. He had the good fortune to detect the shortest and most easy 
road to the populous countries of the interior, and he could boast of being 
the first who had completed an itinerary across the continent of Africa, 
from Tripoli to Benin. 

While Captain Clapperton was on his second journey, Major Loring 
undertook to penetrate to Timbuktu. From Tripoli he crossed the 
Desert by way of Gadames. The kafila, with which he travelled, being 
attacked by the ferocious tribe, Tawarek, Major Loring received twenty- 
four wounds, and was left for dead. But by the attention of his com- 
panions he recovered, and reached Timbuktu, August 18, 1826. He 
was subsequently murdered by a treacherous Moorish guide, while at- 
tempting to reach Sego. 

The knowledge of interior Africa, obtained by these expeditions, has 
been immensely inoreased by the discoveries and explorations of 

Dr. Barth. 

American Editor. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAdE 

Dr. Bartli and Mr. Overweg arrive in Tunis — Journey to Tripoli — 
Pass a Month in exploring the Country round Tripoli — They 
return to Tripoli — Are joined by Mr. Richardson, and proceed to 
Murzuk, the capital of Fezzan 25 

CHAPTER II. 

Delay in Murzuk — Description of the place, its Commerce, &c. — 
Departure from Mtirzuk — Visit to Mohammed Boro — Pilgrim 
Caravan — Desolate appearance of Fezzan — Tribute exacted — ■ 
Dr. Barth returns to Murzuk, and then proceeds to Tasawa — De- 
parture from Tasawa — Slave Caravan — Mohammed Trumba — 
Arrival of Mr. Richardson with the Chiefs of Ghat 82 

CHAPTER III. 

Hatita — Meet a Caravan with Slaves — Perilous adventure of Dr. 
Barth — Narrow escape from Death — Arrival at Ghat — Negotia- 
tion with the Tawarek Chiefs for protection 44 

CHAPTER IV. 

Departure from Ghat — Visit to Barakat — Utaeti and the Kel-owi 
join the Caravan — 'Abd-el-Kader — Highest Mountain Pass — 
Alarming report of Robbers — Servant sick with the Guinea Worm 
— The Tiny / lkum join the Caravan — Mararraba — Mohammed 
Boro threatens hostilities — Arrival at Asiu — Approach of an 
enemy — Great alarm in the Caravan — Three mysterious visitors 
Shrewd advice of 'Abd-el-Kader — The Slaves' Dance — Strange 
and suspicious conduct of Didi — Arrival at the frontier of Air or 

Asben 53 

(xix) 



XX CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER V. 

Alarm in the Camp — Order of Battle — Leave Taghajit — The party 
robbed by the Tawarek Freebooters — Mount Asben — The Euro- 
peans are offered the alternative of turning Muslims or of being 
put to death — But escape by submitting to a fresh robbery — 
Selufiet — Encamp near Tintaghode — A terrible Freshet — Nar- 
row escape of the whole party from being Drowned — Arrival of 
a new Escort — Arrival at Tintellust, the capital of Air or Asben 

— Cost of the Journey 71 

CHAPTER VI. 

Visit to the great chief A'nnur — His Character — Rain — Mr. Rich- 
ardson's tent Robbed — 'Abd-el-Kader — Provisions — Dr. Barth 
sets out for A / gades, leaving Mr. Richardson and Dr. Overweg at 
Tinte'llust — His unlucky attempt to ride a Bullock — His arrival 
at A'gades 88 

CHAPTER VII. 

Dr. Barth in A'gades. — 'Abdallah — Visit to the Sultan of A'gades 

— Gracious reception — Visit to Mohammed Boro — Markets of 
A'gades — Dr. Barth goes to see a national dance : is pursued to his 
quarters by armed Natives, and has a narrow escape from Death 

— Great Festival and Installation of the Sultan — Divan — Warlike 
expedition projected — Salt Caravan — Expedition resolved on — 
Visit of Mohammed Boro and Belraji — Fight in Dr. Barth's room 

— Dr. Barth takes leave of the Sultan, who gives him letters to 
other Chiefs — Account of the Expedition of the Sultan of A'gades 

— Dr. Barth is visited by some ladies — Remarks on African 
morals — Conversation with Mohammed Omar on Religion — Hamma 
gets ready for a start — Prices of goods in A / gades 103 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Dr. Barth's departure from A'gades — Stay in Tin-te'ggana — Depar- 
ture for Sudan — The Salt Caravan — A'nnur's present to Dr. 
Barth — The Tagama — Visit of a Queen of the Desert — Arrival 
atTagelel 123 

CHAPTER IX. 

Separation of the Travellers — Dr. Overweg goes to Tasawa — Alarm- 
ing Letter — Dr. Barth rejoins Dr. Overweg at Tasawa — Dr. Barth 
answers the Letter — Arrives at Katsena — Visits the Governor — 
Journey from Katsena to Kan6 1S3 



CONTENTS. XXI 



CHAPTER X. 



Residence in Kano — Finances — Appearance of the Streets of Kano, 
and the People — Visit to the Governor — Presents — Population, 
Manufactures, and Commerce of Kano — Its Army, Finances, and 
Government — Journey from Kano the capital of Hausa to Bornu 

— Dr. Barth hears of Mr. Richardson's death, and visits his Grave 

— Dr. Barth arrives at Kukawa, the capital of the empire of Bornu, 149 

CHAPTER XI. 

Arrival in Kukawa — Settling with Mr. Richardson's servants — Visit 
to the Vizier and the Sheikh — Transactions about Mr. Richard- 
son's property — Giving medicine — Character of the Vizier — He 
supplies Dr. Barth with money — The Sheikh gives him a horse — 
Description of A'gades — The Markets — The Great Fair — The 
People of A'gades — The Women 169 

CHAPTER XII. 
Visit to Lake Tsad — Description of its appearance — Pirates of 
the Tsad — Dr. Barth sends his servant on° with letters — Arrival 
of Dr. Overweg — Mr. Richardson's property delivered to Dr. 
Barth and Dr. Overweg 189 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Dr. Barth sets out for Adamawa — He reaches the confluence of the 
Benuwe and Faro — His visit to Yola, the capital of Adamawa — 
His short residence there — His dismissal — His return to Kukawa, 202 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Dr. Barth agrees to accompany a band of Arab freebooters on a 
plundering expedition — He is presented with a fine horse by 
the Vizier of Bornu — He starts on the expedition — Is joined by 
Dr. Overweg. — Robberies of the Arabs — Great herd of Elephants 

— Large snake killed — Outrages of the Arabs — Their camp taken 
by the enemy — Baggage of the travellers plundered — Return of 
the expedition to Kukawa 228 

CHAPTER XV. 

Dr. Barth joins another warlike expedition — Lamino — March of 
the enemy — Conversation with the sheikh on slavery — Submission 
of a chief — The sheikh returns to Kukawa — Prince A'dishen 

— Entering the Musgu country — Encampment in the forest — 
Singular water combat — Plundering and outrages by the Bornu 
army — Spoil divided — The army returns to Kukawa » 250 



XXU CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Setting out for Bagirmi — Arrival at Kala — Logon — Leaving 
Logon — The Shari river — Not allowed to cross the river, Dr. 
Barth eludes the guard, crosses the river, and enters Bagirmi — 
Sends a Message to the Capital — Unfavorable Answer — Resi- 
dence at Bakada — Attempt to leave Bagirmi — Dr. Barth is 
arrested and put in irons — Again set free — Arrival at the Capi- 
tal — Interview with Lieutenant-Governor Faki Sambo — Dr. 
Barth suspected to be a rain-maker — The Ladies 277 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Return of the Sultan of Bornu to Mas-ena, the capital — Triumphal 
entry — Dr. Barth receives letters from the British government, and 
an appointment to carry out the objects of the expedition, with 
supplies — His new position — He is directed to go to Timbuktu — 
Visit of courtiers — Memorandum book — Audience of the Sultan 

— Offer of a female slave to the Doctor, respectfully declined — 
Present from the Sultan — Detention in Mas-ena — Preparations 
for departure — Home journey to Kukawa ■ — Death of Mr. Over- 
weg 298 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Dr. Barth takes leave of the Sheikh of Bornu and 'starts for Tim- 
buktu — His servants — Passes the Komadugu of Bornu — The 
Natron Lake — Mtiniyo — Visit of Y / usuf Mtikni — Wealth and 
power of Muniyoma — Visit to him — Arrival at Zinder 315 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Departure from Zinder — Arrival at Gadawa — Sadiku, the rebel — 
Arrival at Katsena — Bel Gh£t — Ants — Second residence at 
Katsena — Leaves Katsena — Passage of the wilderness of Gtin- 
dumi — First meeting with 'Aliyu — Audience — Presents — 
'Aliyu sets out on an Expedition — Arrival of Dr. Barth at Wurno, 340 

CHAPTER XX. 

Residence in Wurno — Proceedings of 'Aliyu — Excursion to Sokoto 

— Market of Sokoto — Return to Wurno — Visit to 'Aliyu on his 
return from the expedition — Presents — Departure from Wurno 

— Reach Gando — Visit to Khalilu 360 



CONTENTS. XXlll 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Approach to the Niger — Arrival at the Niger — Town of Say — 
Sebba — Libtako — Dore — Skill and address of Walati — Camp 
of the Tawarek — Arrival at Bourbarra , t, 379 

CHAPTER XXII. 
Residence in Bambara — Dr. Barth taken for a rain-maker — Diplo- 
macy of the Arab, Walati — Visit to Somki — Dr. Barth again 
passes for a successful rain-maker — Voyage on the Niger to 
Kabara 406 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

» 

Arrival at Kabara — Description of the place — Visit of the Sheikh's 
brother — Entrance into Timbuktu — Dr. Barth shut up in his house 
— Exactions of the Sheikh's brother — Threatened attack on Dr. 
Barth's house — He arms his household, and his enemies desist from 
the attack — Dispute on Religion — Letter from the Sheikh El 
Bakay — Grand Festival of the Mohammedans — Sickness of Dr. 
Barth 414 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Arrival of the Sheikh — Present from him — Interview with the 
Sheikh — Pistol — Conversation about Major Laing — Presents to 
the Sheikh — Effect of firing off a six-shooter — Intrigues and 
troubles — Manners — Preparations for a residence in the desert, 434 

CHAPTER XXV. 

Dr. Barth and the Sheikh el Bakay go to reside at a camp outside 
of Timbuktu — Friendly disposition of the Sheikh — Disputes in 
his family — Sidi A'lawate tries to convert Dr. Barth to Mohamme- 
danism — Return to the city — More rascalities of the Arab Walati 
— Description of Timbuktu — Excursion to Kabara and residence 
in camp 442 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Political troubles in Timbuktu — Dr. Barth's life threatened — The 
camp menaced— Dr. Barth defended by the Sheikh— The chief 
A'wab — Letter from Mr. Dickson — Firman from Stambul de- 
manded — Mungo Park — Death of 'Ali — Rise of the Niger... .« 461 

CHAPTER XXVII. 
Discussions of the Chiefs on Religion — Excursion to the River— 
Commerce of Timbuktu 462 



XXIV CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



The Sheikh's views on religion — ■ Attempts against the Doctor's safety 
— Friendly disposition of the Sheikh — Political parties in Tim- 
buktu — Sidi Mohammed — The Sheikh's camp near Timbuktu — 
Remarks on commercial intercourse with Timbuktu 470 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Dr. Earth attempts to leave Timbuktu — The reasons for his return — 
Incidents on the return — Apprehensions of a French invasion from 
Algeria — The Tawarek camp at Amelelle — Return to the neigh 
borhood of Timbuktu 482 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Final departure from Timbuktu — Letters from England — Ghergo — 
The family of the Sheikh — Gogo 494 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

Residence at G6g6 — Separation from the Sheikh — Dangerous position 
of the party near Tagabata i 500 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

Arrival at Say — Residence at Say — Departure — T&mkala — Audience 
of the Governor — Gando — Arrival at Sokoto — Residence in 
Wurno — Arrival at Kano 504 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Second residence in Kano, under unfavorable circumstances — March 
towards Kukawa — Meeting with Mr. Vogel — Last residence in 
Kano — Departure of Mr. Vogel — Departure from Kano — Journey 
to Fezz/in — Arrival at Murzuk — Sokna — Dr. Barth is received 
by Mr. Reade at 'A / in Zara — Arrival at Tripoli — At Paris — 
At London — Remarks on the expedition 511 



TRAVELS AND DISCOVERIES 



AFRICA. 



CHAPTER I. 

Dr. Barth and Mr. Overweg arrive in Tunis — Journey to Tripoli — Pass 
a Month in exploring the Country round Tripoli — They return to 
Tripoli — Are joined by Mr. Richardson, and proceed to Murztik, the 
Capital of Fezzan. 

Mr. Richardson was waiting in Paris for dispatches when 
Mr. Overweg and I reached Tunis, by way of Philippeville and 
Bona, on the 15th of December, 1849; and having, through 
the kind interference of Mr. Ferrier, the British vice-consul, 
been allowed to enter the town after six days' quarantine, we 
began immediately to provide ourselves with articles of dress, 
while, in the mean time, we took most interesting daily rides 
to the site of ancient Carthage. 

Having procured many useful articles for our journey, and 
having found a servant, the son of a freed slave from Gober, 
we left Tunis on the 30th of December, and passed the first 
night in Hammam el Enf. Early next morning we followed 
the charming route by Krumbalia, which presents a no less 
vivid specimen of the beauty and natural fertility of the Tu- 
nisian country than of the desolate state to which it is at pre- 
sent reduced. We then passed the fine gardens of Turki, a 
narrow spot of cultivation in a wide, desolate plain of the 
3 (25) 



26 THE FIRST START. 

finest soil ; and, leaving El Khwin to our right, we reached 
El Arb'ain. 

Both these places enjoy a peculiar celebrity with the natives. 
El Khwin is said to have been once a populous place, but nearly 
all its inhabitants were destroyed by a spring of bituminous 
water, which, according to tradition, afterward disappeared. 
El Arb'ain, the locality of the "forty" martyrs, is a holy 
place, and 'Ali, our muleteer, in his pious zeal, took up a 
handful of the sacred earth and sprinkled it over us. It is a 
most picturesque spot. Keeping then along the wild plain 
covered with a thick underwood of myrtle, we beheld in the 
distance the highly picturesque and beautiful Mount Zaghwan, 
the Holy Mountain of the ancient inhabitants, which rose in a 
majestic form, and we at length reached Bir el buwita, "the 
well of the little closet," at one o'clock in the afternoon. The 
"little closet," however, had given place to a most decent- 
looking whitewashed khan, where we took up our quarters in 
a clean room. But our buoyant spirits did not allow us long 
repose, and a quarter before eleven at night we were again on 
our mules. 

I shall never forget this, the last night of the year 1849, 
which opened to us a new era with many ordeals, and by our 
endurance of which we were to render ourselves worthy of suc- 
cess. There were, besides ourselves, our servants, and our two 
muleteers, four horsemen of the Bey, and three natives from 
Jirbi. When midnight came, my fellow-traveller and I saluted 
the new year with euthusiasm, and with a cordial shake of the 
hand wished each other joy. Our Mohammedan companions 
were greatly pleased when they were informed of the reason 
of our congratulating each other, and wished us all possible 
success for the new year. We had also reason to be pleased 
with them, for by their not inharmonious songs they relieved 
the fatigue of a long, sleepless, and excessively cold night. 

Having made a short halt under the olive-trees at the side 
of the dilapidated town of Herkla, and taken a morsel of 
bread, we moved on with our poor animals without interrup- 
tion till half an hour after noon, when we reached the funduk 






REACH TRIPOLI. 27 

(or cara van serai) Sidi Bii J'afer, near Susa, where we took 
up our quarters, in order to be able to start again at night ; 
the gates of the town being kept shut till morning. 

Starting before three o'clock in the morning, we were exactly 
twelve hours in reaching El Jem, with the famous Castle of 
the Prophetess, still one of the most splendid monuments of 
Roman greatness, overhanging the most shabby hovels of Mo- 
hammedan indifference. On the way we had a fine view, toward 
the west, of the picturesque Jebel Trutsa, along the foot of 
which I had passed on my former wanderings, and of the wide, 
outstretching Jebel Useleet. 

Another ride of twelve hours brought us, on the 3d of Jan- 
uary, 1850, to Sfakes, where we were obliged to take up our 
quarters in the town, as our land journey was here at an end, 
and we were to procure a vessel to carry us either direct to 
Tripoli, or to some other point on the opposite side of the 
Lesser Syrtis. The journey by land is not only expensive, 
particularly for people who are encumbered with a good deal 
of luggage, as we then were, and very long and tedious, but 
is also very unsafe, as I found from experience on my former 
journey. The island of Jirbi, which forms the natural station 
of the maratime intercourse between the regency of Tunis and 
that of Tripoli, had been put under the strictest rules of qua- 
rantine, rather from political considerations than from those of 
health, air intercourse with the main land having been cut off. 
It was, therefore, with great difficulty that we succeeded in 
hiring a "gareb " to carry us to Zwara, in which we embarked 
in the forenoon of Saturday, the 5th of January. 

[This passage occupied several days, and on the 18th of Jan- 
uary the party were in the neighborhood of Tripoli.] 

We had a long stretch the following day to reach the capi- 
tal, which we were most anxious to accomplish, as we expected 
Mr. Richardson would have arrived before us in consequence 
of our own tedious journey ; and having sent the Khalifa in 
advance to keep the gate open for us, we succeeded in reaching 
the town after an uninterrupted march of thirteen hours and a 
half, and were most kindly received by Mr. Crowe, her majes- 



28 yesi'd basha'. 

ty's consul general, and the vice-consul, Mr. Reade, with whom 
I was already acquainted. We were surprised to find that Mr. 
Richardson had not even yet been heard of, as we expected 
he would come direct by way of Malta. Bat he did not arrive 
till twelve days after. With the assistance of Mr. Reade, we 
had already finished a great deal of our preparations, and 
would have gladly gone on at once ; but neither the boat, nor 
the instruments, nor the arms or tents had as yet arrived, and 
a great deal of patience was required. However, being lodged 
in the neat house of the former Austrian consul, close to the 
harbor, and which commands a charming prospect, our time 
passed rapidly by. 

On the 25th of January, Mr. Reade presented Mr. Overweg 
and myself to Yesid Basha, the present governor, who received 
us with great kindness and good feeling. 

As soon as it became apparent that the preparations for our 
final departure for the interior would require at least a month, 
Mr. Overweg and I resolved to employ the interval in making 
a preliminary excursion through the mountainous region that 
encompasses Tripoli in a radius of from sixty to eighty miles. 

With this view, we hired two camels, with a driver each, and 
four donkeys, with a couple of men, for ourselves and our two 
servants, Mohammed Belal, the son of a liberated Hausa slave, 
and Ibrahim, a liberated Bagirmi slave, whom we had been for- 
tunate enough to engage here ; and, through the consul's in- 
fluence, we procured a shoush, or officer, to accompany us the 
whole way. 

Neither the instruments provided by her majesty's govern- 
ment, nor the tents and arms, had as yet arrived. But Mr. 
Overweg had a good sextant, and I a good chronometer, and 
we were both of us provided with tolerably good compasses, 
thermometers, and an aneroid barometer. Mr. Frederick War- 
rington, too, was good enough to lend us a tent. 

We had determined to start in the afternoon of the 4th of 
February, 1850, so as to pass the first night in Ghargash ; 
but, meeting with delays, we did not leave the town till after 
sunset. 



THE DEPARTURE. 29 

[This excursion lasted till the 21th of Jebruary, when the 
party returned to Tripoli.] 

Meanwhile the instruments provided by government had 
arrived, and proved in general well adapted for their purposes. 
But the tents and arms had not yet reached us, and I thought 
it better to provide a strong, spacious, and low tent, which, 
even after the government tents arrived, did not prove super- 
fluous, although perhaps rather too heavy. All tents intended 
for travellers in hot climates should be well lined and not too 
high. Those which we received were quite unfit for the coun- 
try whither we were going, and while they were so light that 
they could hardly withstand a strong blast of wind, they 
scarcely excluded the sun, particularly after a little wear and 
tear. All the tents ought also to have top-ropes, which can 
alone secure them in a tornado such as are common in those 
climates. Mr. Richardson was soon obliged to provide him- 
self with another tent, so that in the course of our journey we 
had altogether five tents, but generally pitched only two, or, 
where we encamped for a greater length of time, four. 

Mr. Overweg and I sustained a heavy loss in the secession 
of our black servant Ibrahim, who might have proved of great 
service to us in the interior, as he spoke the Bornu and Ba- 
grimma languages, and had himself wandered about a good 
deal in those little-known districts between Mandara and Ba- 
girmi. We now had only two servants, one of whom, Mo- 
hammed e' Zintani, would certainly not go farther than Fezzan. 
At length all was ready for our outset except the boat,* which 
caused Mr. Richardson a great deal of trouble, as it had been 
divided in Malta into two pieces instead of four. I proposed 
that we should pitch our tents for some days at 'Ain Zara, in 
order that we might be duly seasoned for our long journey. 

It was late in the afternoon of the 24th of March, 1850, 
when Overweg and I, seated in solemn state upon our camels, 
left the town with our train, preceded by the consul, Mr. Crowe, 

* This boat was intended for navigating Lake Tsad ; and it was ulti- 
mately used for that purpose. 
3* 



30 BTR SBAEA. 

in his carriage, by Mr. Reade, and by Mr. Dickson and his 
family, of whom we took a hearty leave under the olive-trees 
near Kasr el Haeni. We then continued our route, and in fine 
moonlight pitched our tent on the border of 'Ain Zara. 

Here we remained encamped till Friday, the 29th. In the 
afternoon of the 27th, Mr. Frederick Warrington, who wished 
to escort us for a few days, came out, accompanied by the 
American consul, Mr. Gaines, and brought us the satisfactory 
news that on the following Friday Mr. Richardson would move 
from the town, and that we should meet him at Mejenin. I 
and my countryman required eight camels for our luggage, 
besides the two which we rode ourselves, and which were our 
own. I had been so fortunate as to procure an excellent Arab 
camel, of the renowned breed of the Bu-Saef, which was my 
faithful companion as far as Kukawa ; and Mr. Warrington 
had made me a present of a handsome Ghadamsi saddle or 
basiir, with pillows, and a Stambiili carpet, so that I was com- 
fortably mounted. 

Friday, March 2$th. After a great deal of trouble (the 
camel-drivers and our men being as yet unaccustomed to our 
unwieldy luggage), we at length succeeded in making a start. 
After leaving the olive-trees and the little palm-grove of 'Ain 
Zara, we very soon entered deep sand-hills, which sheltered us 
from the strong wind. Owing to our slow progress, the sun 
was almost setting when we overtook Mr. Warrington, who 
had pitched his tent on a fine pasture-ground near Bir Sbaea. 

Saturday, March 30th. Having indulged for some hours in 
the quiet enjoyment of a fine morning, and an open, green 
country, I went with the shoush to look after Mr. Richardson's 
party. After an hour's ride through luxuriant corn-fields, and 
pasture-grounds enlivened by the horses of the Turkish cavalry, 
we found Mukni, the sailor, and all Mr. Richardson's bag- 
gage ; but he himself had not yet come up. I could not per- 
suade the people to remove our encampment, so I returned, 
after having paid a visit to the binbasha of the cavalry, who 
had been stationed here for the last seventeen years. 

Sunday, March 3lst. Foggy weather indicated that rain 



ARRIVAL AT MU'RZUK. 31 

was approaching ; and just in time Mr. Richardson with his 
party arrived, and pitched his enormous lazaretto tent opposite 
our little encampment. 

April 2d. We fairly set out on our expedition. [Passing 
by way of Mizda, and over the stony plateau called the Ham- 
mada, the party reached the village of Ederi on the 25th of 
April ; but it was not till the 6th of May that Miirzuk, the 
capital of Fezzan, was reached.] 

Monday, May 6th. All the people were eager to reach to- 
day the first great station of the journey ; but, owing to the 
straying of some of the camels, we were unable to start quite 
as early as we wished. The country in general was very ste- 
rile, presenting only a few small date-groves, which we passed 
at greater or less distance, and at length we reached the plan- 
tation of Murzuk itself. Then we reached the wall of the 
town, built of a sort of clay glittering with saline incrusta- 
tions ; and going round the whole western and northern sides, 
which have no gate wide enough for a caravan, we halted on 
the eastern side of the town, not far from the camp of the pil- 
grims who were returning from Egypt to Marocco and Tawat, 
till Mr. GagliuflQ. came out of the town and brought us in. 
Mr. Richardson had arrived about an hour before us. I was 
lodged in a cool and airy room on the N. E. corner of Mr. 
Gagliufli's house, which had within the court a very pleasant 
half-covered hall. Mr. Gagliuffi treated us with all possible 
hospitality, and did all in his power to render our stay in the 
town agreeable. 



32 DELAY IX MTTRZUK. 



CHAPTER IT. 

Delay in Murzuk — Description of the Place, its Commerce, &c — Depar- 
ture from Murzuk — Visit to Mohammed Boro — Pilgrim Caravan — 
Desolate appearance of Tezzan — Tribute exacted — Dr. Barth returns 
to Mtirzuk, and then proceeds to Tasavra — Departure from Tasawa — 
Slave Caravan — Mohammed Trumba — Arrival of Mr. Richardson with 
the Chiefs of Ghat. 

Unfortunately, our stay in Murzuk seemed likely to be- 
come a very long one, as the chiefs from Ghat, who were to 
take us under their protection, were not yet sent for. The 
courier with our letters, to which was added a missive from 
the acting governor promising perfect security to the chiefs, 
did not set out till the 8th of May. No doubt, in order to 
visit Air, a country never before trodden by European foot, 
with any degree of safety, we wanted some powerful protec- 
tion ; but it was very questionable whether any of the chiefs 
of Ghat could afford us such, while the sending for them ex- 
pressly to come to Murzuk to fetch us would, of course, raise 
their pretensions very high, and in the same degree those of 
other chiefs whose territory we should enter hereafter. Be 
this as it may, this mode of procedure having been once 
adopted, the question arose whether all three of us should pro- 
ceed to Ghat ; and it was decided, the very next day after our 
arrival, that the director of the expedition alone (Mr. Richard- 
son) should touch at that place, in order to make, if possible, 
a treaty with the chiefs in that quarter, while Mr. Overweg 
and I were to proceed with the caravan by the southern route 
directly to the well Arikim, and there to await Mr. Richardson. 

Providentially, a man had been sent to act as mediator be- 
tween us and the countries to which we were about to direct 






MOHAMMED BO'ltO. 33 

our steps. He had been recommended to us in the very 
strongest terms by Hassan Basha, the former governor of 
Fezzan, whom we had frequently seen in Tripoli, and who 
knew something about the men of influence and authority in 
Negroland. This man was Mohammed Boro, who, with the 
title Serki-n-turawa, "Lord of the Whites, " resided generally 
in A'gades, but had also a house and many connections in 
Sokoto, and at present was on his home journey from a pil- 
grimage to Mekka. It was a great pity that Mr. Gagliuffi, 
H. M.'s agent and our host, influenced I know not by whom, 
greatly underrated the importance of this man, and treated him 
with very little consideration. He was represented to us as 
an intriguer, who, besides, arrogated to himself much more 
consequence than he was really entitled to- — a man, in short, 
whose friendship was scarcely worth cultivating, at least not at 
any sacrifice. 

Mohammed Boro called upon us on the 8th of May at Ga- 
gliufli's house. He was an elderly, respectable-looking man, 
wearing a green bernus over white under-clothes. He could 
speak but little Arabic, but received Mr. Gagliuffi's empty and 
rather ironical assurances that the whole welfare and success 
of the expedition were placed in his (Mohammed Boro's) 
hands with a continual strain of "el hamdu lillahi"s. In his 
company were his eldest son and another man of Asben. He 
afterward sent us some giiro, or kola-nuts, of which he seemed 
to have a great stock, and which he also sold in the market. 
Gagliufn sent him, as an acknowledgment, a very lean sheep, 
which, with a small loaf of sugar, was all he got from us in 
Murzuk. Instead of gaining his friendship, this treatment 
served only to irritate him, and was productive of some very 
bad consequences to us. This interesting person will appear 
in his true character and importance in the course of this 
narrative. 

The appearance of Murzuk is rather picturesque, but its 
extreme aridity is felt at once, and this feeling grows stronger 
on a prolonged residence. Even in the plantation which sur- 
rounds it there are only a few favored spots where, under the 

c 



34 MU'rZUK. 

protection of a deeper shade of the date-trees, a few fruit-trees 
can be cultivated, such as pomegranates, figs, and peaches. 
Culinary vegetables, including onions, are extremely scarce; 
milk, except a little from the goats, is, of course, out of the 
question. 

The town lies in a flat hollow "Hdfrah," which is the ap- 
propriate native name of the district, but nevertheless at the 
considerable elevation of 1495 feet, surrounded by ridges of 
sand ; and in this hollow lies scattered the plantation, without 
the least symmetry of arrangement or mark of order. In some 
places it forms a long narrow strip, extending to a great dis- 
tance, in others a detached grove, while on the southeast side 
of the town the desert approaches close to the walls in a deep 
inlet. Toward the east a little grove apart forms, as it were, 
an advanced post. The densest and finest part of the grove 
is toward the north, where also are the greatest number of 
gardens and fields in which wheat, barley, gedheb (or, rather, 
kedheb), and a few vegetables, are cultivated with much labor. 
In the same quarter also the greatest number of cottages are 
to be found, including huts (large and small) made of palm- 
branches, the former consisting of several apartments and a 
small court-yard, the latter having generally only one room of 
very narrow dimensions. 

In the midst of this plantation lies Miirzuk. It is situated 
so as not to face the cardinal points, but with a deviation from 
them of thirty degrees, the north side running N. 30° E., S. 
30° W., and so on : it is less than two miles in circumference. 
The walls, built of clay, with round and pointed bastions, but 
partly in bad repair, have two gates, the largest on the east, 
and the other on the west side. There is only a very small 
gate on the north side, and there is none toward the south. 
This quarter of the town has been greatly contracted by 'Abd 
el Jelil, as the remains of the old wall of the time of Mukni 
clearly show ; but the town is still much too large for its scanty 
population, which is said now to amount to 2800, and the 
greatest part of it, especially in the quarters most distant from 
the bazaar, is thinly inhabited and half in ruins. The cha- 



mu'rzuk. 35 

racteristic feature of the town, which shows that it has more 
points of relation with Negroland than with the lands of the 
Arabs, is the spacious road or "dendal " stretching out from 
the eastern gate as far as the castle, and making the principal 
part of the town more airy, but also infinitely more exposed to 
the heat. 

The bazaar, of course, is the most frequented part of the 
town. It lies nearly half way between the east and west gates, 
but a little nearer to the former, and affords, with its halls of 
palm-stems, a very comfortable place for the sellers and buyers. 
The watch-house at the east end of the bazaar, and almost 
opposite Mr. Gagliuffi's house, is ornamented with a portico 
of six columns, which adds to the neat appearance of this 
quarter of the town. The kasbah is the same as in Captain 
Lyon's time, with its immense walls and small apartments ; but 
the outer court has been much improved by the building of a 
barrack or kishlah, which now forms its northern portion. It 
is a large quadrangular building, with a spacious esplanade in 
the interior, around which are arranged the principal apart- 
ments. The building is said to be capable of containing 2000 
men, though at present there are but 400 in the garrison, who 
are well lodged and fed. 

With regard to commerce, the condition of Miirzuk is very 
different from that of Ghadames. The latter is the residence 
of wealthy merchants, who embark all their capital in commer- 
cial enterprises, and bring home their own merchandise. But 
Miirzuk is rather the thoroughfare than the seat of a consider- 
able commerce, the whole annual value of imports and exports 
amounting, in a round sum, to 100,000 Spanish dollars ; and 
the place, therefore, is usually in great want of money ; the 
foreign merchants, when they have sold their merchandise, 
carrying away its price in specie — the Mejabera to Jalo, the 
Tebu to Bilma and Bornu, the people of Tawat and Ghada- 
mes to their respective homes. Few of the principal merchants 
of Miirzuk are natives of the place. The western or Sudan 
route is more favorable to commerce than the route to Bdrnu. 
On the latter the Tawdrek are always ready to furnish any 



36 DEPARTURE FROM MU'RZUK. 

number of camels to carry merchandise and to guarantee their 
safety, while the road to Bdrnu, which is the nearest to Miirzuk, 
is in such a precarious state that the merchant who selects it 
must convey his merchandise on his own camels and at his own 
risk. As for the routes through Fezzan, the Hotman, the 
Zwaya, and the Megesha are the general carriers of the mer- 
chandise ; while, on the route to Sudan, the conveyance at 
present is wholly in the hands of the Tiny'lkum. 

As soon as Gagliuffi learned distinctly the plan of our ex- 
pedition, he made an agreement with these people to take our 
things as far as Selufiet ; and they were anxious to be off. 
After much procrastination, they fixed upon the 6th of June 
for taking away the merchandise with which we had been pro- 
vided here. We were to follow on the 12th ; but the luggage 
not being ready at an early hour, our final departure was fixed 
for the 13th. 

Thursday, June 13/7?.. Accompanied by Mr. Gagliuffi, the 
Greek doctor, and the Bin-basha, we left Miirzuk by the western 
gate. My parting from Mr. Gagliuffi was cordial. He had 
received us and treated us hospitably, and had shown an ear- 
nest desire to further our proceedings, and to secure, if pos- 
sible, the success of our expedition ; and if, in his commercial 
transactions with the mission, he did not neglect his own ad- 
vantage, we could not complain, though it would have been 
infinitely better for us if we had been provided with a more 
useful sort of merchandise. 

In leaving the town, we kept, in general, along the same 
path by which we had first entered it, and encamped during 
the hot hours of the day in the scanty shade afforded by the 
trees of Zerghan, the well close by affording us delicious 
draughts of cool water, not at all of that brackish, insipid 
taste which is common to the water of Fezzan. We had 
started in the belief that we should find our luggage in O r m el 
hammam ; but in this place we learned from the poor ragged 
people who come occasionally hither to take care of the trees 
that it was gone on to Tigger-urtin. Not knowing, however, 
the road to the latter place, we took the path to O'rn el ham- 






o'm el hamma'm. 37 

mam, and encamped about seven o'clock in the afternoon a 
little north of it. 

O'm el hammam is a half-decayed and deserted village, built 
of clay, which is strongly incrusted with salt, the inhabitants 
at present living entirely in huts made of palm-branches. The 
plantation being intermixed with a large number of ethel-trees 
(Tamarix orientalis), and interspersed with gardens, ex- 
hibited a more varied aspect than is generally the case with 
these groves ; and having pitched our tent near a large ethel- 
bush, we felt very comfortable, especially as we had the good 
luck to obtain a few eggs, which, fried with plenty of onions, 
made a very palatable supper. 

Next morning we directed our course to Tigger-urtin, 
making almost a right angle toward the north, and crossing a 
desolate plain incrusted with salt, after we had left the fine 
plantation of (Vm el hammam. Having reached the village 
of our camel-drivers, which consists entirely of huts of palm- 
branches, we looked long in vain for a tolerable camping- 
ground, as the strong wind filled the whole air with, sand At 
length we pitched our tents a few paces south from the well. 
It was an extremely sultry and oppressive day, and the wind 
anything but refreshing. 

In the afternoon we went to pay our compliments to Moham- 
med Bdro, who had left Murzuk several days before us. He 
informed us that he had consumed all his provisions, and that 
he would have left to-day for Tasawa, in order to replenish 
his stores, if he had not seen us coming. We consoled him 
with the intimation that we hoped our whole party would be 
soon ready for starting, and sent him a quantity of dates and 
corn. 

June 16th. In the morning I took a walk round the village 
of the Tiny'lkum, which exhibited some lively and interesting 
scenes. All the men were saying their prayers together upon 
a sand-hill on the north side of the principal cluster of cot- 
tages, while the women were busy in getting ready the 
provisions for the long journey about to be undertaken by their 
husbands, and the children were playing among them. About 
i 



38 ma'rhhaba. 

fifty or sixty huts were lying hereabouts, most of them formed 
into groups, others more detached. Some of them had pointed 
roofs, while others were flat-roofed ; but all of them had a 
neat and orderly appearance. Besides camels, which consti- 
tute their principal wealth, as by means of them they are ena- 
bled to undertake those long annual journeys to Sudan, they 
possess a good many sheep. 

About noon arrived the pilgrim-caravan of the Tawati, 
which had been long encamped near Murzuk, on their way 
home ; it had been this year only 114 persons strong, with 10 
muskets, while sometimes it musters as many as 500 persons. 
Their chief, or sheikh el rakeb, was an intelligent person of 
the name of 'Abd el Kader, a native of Timimun, who had 
been leader of the caravan several times. They encamped at 
no great distance from us on the open ground. 

Being obliged to buy another camel for myself (in order to 
be able to mount our servant Mohammed el Tiinsi on a camel 
of our own, the Tiny'lkum being very particular about their 
beasts, and not liking to see a man often mounting them), I 
bought, in the afternoon, a fine tall rneheri * from Haj Moham- 
med for 69 Fezzan riyals, or 55 Spanish dollars. 

June 11th. I made a longer excursion along the eastern 
part of the wadi, which here, where it is lower and collects 
more humidity, is adorned with some beautiful wild groups of 
palm-trees left quite to themselves ; the valley extends toward 
Wadi Ghodwa, which it joins. Keeping on in that direction, 
I came to a poor hamlet called Marhhaba, inhabited by a few 
families, who bitterly complained of their poverty. Here was 
formerly a village built of clay, and a large spacious castle 
about sixty-five paces square. All is now deserted, and only 
a small part of the available ground is under culture, forming 
about six or seven small fields. The same picture is met with 
all over Fezzan, where the only places exhibiting to the eye 
some degree of life and prosperity are Sokna and Miirzuk. 
The population of this wide expanse of country falls short of 
even sixty thousand souls. 

* Mehevi, a swift camel. 



GATHERING OP THE CARAVAN. 39 

The heat of the day had already set in when I returned to 
the tents, where I was extremely rejoiced to see the different 
members of our caravan collecting at last, so as to afford a 
fair prospect of our soon setting out for unknown and more 
interesting regions. There had arrived Mohammed el Sfaksi, 
a man with whom Mr. G-agliuffi had entered into a sort of part- 
nership for a commercial journey to Negroland, and whom he 
had supplied with a tolerable amount of merchandise, and in 
the afternoon came the boat. The following day Yusuf Mukni, 
Mr. Richardson's interpreter, came with the rest of the lug- 
gage, so that gradually everything felt into its right place, 
and nothing was now wanting but the Tawarek chiefs to set 
our whole body in regular motion. We therefore procured a 
load of dates from Aghar, and, getting everything ready, 
roused our spirits for the contemplation of novelties and the 
encountering of difficulties ; for the latter could certainly not 
be wanting where the former were at hand. 

Wednesday, June lUh. While the greater part of the cara- 
van took the direct road to the well Sharaba, Mr. Overweg 
and I, with the remainder, chose the road to Tessawa, or, 
rather, more accurately, Tasawa ; but, though our party 
formed but a small body of people, yet it presented a very 
animated spectacle. The lazy Arab mode of letting the 
camels go singly, as they like, straggling about right and left, 
strains and fatigues the traveller's attention ; but his mind is 
stimulated and nerved to the contemplation of great distances 
to be traversed when he sees a long line of camels attached 
one to the other, and led by a man at a steady pace without 
any halt or interruption. As for myself, riding my own meheri, 
I was quite at liberty to go before or fall behind, just as the 
circumstances of the road called for observation, or presented 
something worthy of attention. 

Having passed some tolerably deep sand-hills accumulated 
in the wadi, we obtained a sight of an advanced spur of the 
plantation of Aghar to our left, when the ground became firm 
and the country more open. We then passed the village 
of Tasawa, which, with its clay walls and towers, looks much 



40 tasa'wa. 

more considerable from afar than it appears when viewed from 
among the deserted houses within it ; still it is one of the more 
wealthy and important places of the country. A little beyond 
it we encamped on the open sandy ground, when, as our small 
tent had by mistake gone on in advance, and our large tent 
was too bulky to be pitched for one night's rest, we contrived 
a very tolerable airy shade with our carpets. 

We had scarcely made ourselves comfortable when we re- 
ceived the joyful news that Hatita, with two sons of Shafo, 
had just arrived from Ghat, and were about to call on us. 
Their arrival, of course, had now become a matter of the 
utmost importance, as Mr. Richardson had made his mind up 
not to start without them, though it might have been clear, to 
every one well acquainted with the state of things in the inte- 
rior, that their protection could not be the least guaranty for 
our favorable reception and success in the country of Air or 
Asben, inhabited and governed by an entirely distinct tribe. 
And, on the other hand, the arrival of these chiefs made our 
relation to Mohammed Boro extremely disagreeable ; for, after 
waiting so long for us, he now clearly saw that Mr. Gagliuffi, 
in declaring that we relied entirely on him for success, while 
we were, in fact, placing ourselves wholly at the disposal of 
the chiefs of Ghat, was only trifling with him. He therefore 
flew into a violent passion, threatening openly before the people 
that he would take care that we should be attacked on the 
road by his countrymen ; and these were not empty threats. 

Having assured ourselves that, owing to the arrival of the 
Tawarek chiefs, we should have to make some stay here, we 
determined to pitch our large tent early the next morning, while 
the chiefs had a long dispute with Mohammed e' Sfaksi, the 
subject of which I must relate, as it throws some light on the 
history and the present state of this country. The northern 
Tawarek, when they occupied the country round Ghat, estab- 
lished a sort of tribute, or gherama, to be paid by merchants 
passing through their territory, and on payment of which the 
trader should be no further molested, but enjoy full protection. 
At that time the Masrata — a section of a very powerful Ber- 



RETURN TO MT/rZUK. 41 

ber tribe — had made a colonial settlement in A'gades, and, 
owing to their great power, commercial activity, and near con- 
nection with the Tawarek, were considered wholly exempt from 
any tribute, while the inhabitants of Tunis, who seem to have 
excited the jealousy or hostility of the great lords of the desert, 
were subjected to the highest personal exaction, viz., ten dol- 
lars a head. Now Gagliuffi's partner was a native of Sfakes ; 
but, having long resided in Masrata, he insisted upon being 
free from tribute, like the inhabitants of the latter place ; but 
our friends were not to be cheated out of their right, and made 
him pay as a Tunisian. 

Having settled this little business, they came to us. There 
were Hatita Inek (the son of Khdden of the Manghasatangh), 
Utaeti (the eldest son of Shafo), a younger son of the latter, 
and several more. The first, who had enjoyed the friendship 
of Captain Lyon, behaved throughout like a man well ac- 
quainted with Europeans ; but Utaeti conducted himself like 
a strict Tarki, neither showing his face nor speaking a single 
word. Hatita expressed the wish that we should not proceed 
until he returned from Miirzuk, where he assured us he would 
remain but a short time ; and we engaged to do our best to 
keep back the camel-drivers, who were but little inclined to 
stay here long. 

In consequence of this state of things, I determined to re- 
turn to the town, in order to ascertain the terms entered into 
between the parties ; and accordingly, starting at five in the 
evening, and resting a few minutes after midnight in Zerghan, 
I reached Miirzuk on Friday morning at seven o'clock. I 
found that Mr. GagliuflS had been very ill during the hot wea- 
ther of the last few days, but to-day he was fortunately a little 
better. 

Having waited in vain for the chiefs the whole of Saturday, 
we received a visit from them on Sunday, when they appeared 
in the finery with which they had been dressed by Mustapha 
Bey, but would not come to any terms ; and it was not till 
Monday, when they took up their residence in the house be- 
longing formerly to Mukni, but now to the Wakil of Borno, 
4 * 



42 THE WELL SHA'RABA. 

that they concluded an arrangement. The sum which they then 
received would have been moderate had they undertaken to see 
us safe under the protection of Annur, the chief of the Kel- 
owi. I urged, with Mr. Gagliuffi, the necessity of having a 
written copy of the agreement; but to this the chief would 
not listen, and thus confessed that there was really no distinct 
contract, as we had been given to understand, to the effect that 
Utaeti should not leave us till he had committed us to the care 
of the chief Annur. 

This business being concluded, I was in great haste to return 
to Tasawa ; and starting immediately afterward, at one o'clock 
in the afternoon, arrived at our tent a little before midnight. 
Our tent, indeed, was still there ; but all the Tiny'lkuin (Musa 
alone excepted) and all our things were gone on, and Overweg 
and I were obliged to follow the next day, without waiting for 
Mr. Richardson. 

Accordingly, on the 25th of June we left Tasawa, and, after 
having crossed some sand-hills, entered upon harder soil, with 
ethel-bushes crowning the little hills, the whole scene making 
the impression that a considerable current of water had at one 
period flowed along here and carried away the soil, which had 
once extended to the top of the hills. But after about an- 
other hour's march we entered upon pebbly ground like that of 
the Hammada, and continued descending through a bare 
country till we reached the well Sharaba, where we encamped 
a little to the north, near a talha-bush. It is an open well, 
only three feet below the surface of the ground, which here 
forms a very remarkable hollow, almost six hundred feet below 
the level of Miirzuk, but nevertheless contains water only for 
two or three months in the year. 

Toward evening the locality was enlivened for a short time 
by a small slave-caravan, led by Mohammed Trumba or 'Ake- 
riit, an active, energetic man, whom I met several times in the 
course of my travels, and incurred some obligation toward 
him, as it was he who, on my setting out from Zinder to Tim- 
buktu in the beginning of 1853, brought me a supply of one 
thousand dollars, without which I could scarcely have sue- 



INSOLENT SERVANTS. 43 

ceeded in my undertaking. He had come in only sixty-five 
days from Zinder, and thirty-three from Asben, having been 
obliged to pursue his journey as fast as possible, because, 
owing to the expedition of the Kel-owi against the Welad Sli- 
man, provisions were very scarce in Asben. He estimated the 
number of fighting men who had gone on that expedition at 
seven thousand, and stated that the Tawarek were acting in 
concert with the Daza, a tribe of Tebu, whose real name is 
Biilguda. He stated that E' Nur (or Annur, as the name is 
pronounced), the chief of the Kel-owi, was at present in Ta- 
sawa (that is to say, the town of that name on the borders of 
Negroland), but would soon return to Asben. He confirmed 
the report of plenty of rain having fallen in the desert, in con- 
sequence of which the wells were full ; but he begged me to 
beware of the cold during the nights, which he represented as 
very intense. He had twenty-three female slaves with him and 
only five camels, and hastened on to Tasawa, in order to obtain 
dates for his famished people. 

'About five o'clock in the afternoon we were at length joined 
by Mr. Richardson and the chiefs of the Askar ; but the un- 
satisfactory way in which the business had been concluded with 
these chiefs in Murzuk led to a break-up sooner even than I 
had suspected. The next evening Hatita summoned us to a 
divan, and declared distinctly that he required a month's time 
to make the necessary preparations for the journey to Air. 
Hence it would be necessary for us to separate from the cara- 
van, and, taking our luggage with us to Ghat, to hire or buy 
other camels there. In reply to this unjust and absurd 
demand, we declared that we had no other choice but to follow 
the direct Sudan road in the company of the caravan, and that 
it was our firm intention, at any rate, not to lose more than 
seven days in Ghat. Hatita having left us rather dissatisfied 
at our decision, our servants, who would gladly have idled 
away one or two months in Ghat as they had done in Murzuk, 
insolently told us that we were very much mistaken in thinking 
that the road to Air was in any degree open to us, for it would 
first be necessary to send a courier to ask the permission of the 



44 hati'ta. 

chiefs of tbat country to enter it, and we must wait for the 
answer. 

While remaining firm in our resolution, we of course con- 
sented to go to Ghat, and tried at the same time to come to 
some final arrangement with our camel-drivers, promising 
them a small allowance for every day they should wait for us. 
They at length promised to spend ten days on the way to 
Arikim, a well three days' march south from Ghat, where they 
would wait six days, and then go on directly to Air. Attack- 
ing the old chief, therefore, on his weakest side, we sent him 
word the next morning that, as we had but little money with 
us, he would not succeed in getting any thing of value from 
us if he should try to keep us in Ghat for any length of time ; 
and I insisted, with Yusuf Mukni, upon the dishonesty of the 
chief's conduct in trying to make an entirely new bargain after 
he had got all he demanded. His answer was satisfactory ; 
and with the fervent hope that we should not be baffled in our 
attempt to discover new regions and new tribes of men, we 
left the further development of the affair to time. 



CHAPTER III. 



Hatita — Meet a Caravan with Slaves — Perilous adventure of Dr. Barth — 
Narrow escape from Death — Arrival at Ghat — Negotiation with the 
Tawarek Chiefs for protection. 

June 5th. We had to separate from the Tiny'lkum and from 
our luggage without having any certainty as to where and 
when we might overtake them. The chiefs of Ghat, too, had 
started in advance. The country had been rising all the way 
from Wadi Sharaba, which seems to form the lowest point in 
this whole region, and we ascended to-day very considerably. 
Pushing on in advance of our little troop, and passing a small 
caravan which was laden with provisions and merchandise 



hati'ta. 45 

belonging to the pilgrim-caravan of the Tawati, I soon came 
up with Hatita and his companions. They were civil and 
kind ; but the old friend of the English, who had an eye to a 
new marriage with some pretty Amoshagh girl some forty or 
fifty years younger than himself, gave me sundry expressive 
hints that I should spare him something of my outfit — either a 
pair of pistols, or a carpet, or a beruiis, or any other little 
article. My refusal in no wise rendered him uncivil. While 
he was riding by my side, I took the opportunity of making a 
slight sketch of him, his English gun, the gift of some pre- 




vious traveller, forming a striking contrast to his large shield 
of antelope hide, ornamented with a cross. Having crossed 
another valley of some extent, we descended into Wadi 
Elghom-ude (the Yalley of the Camel), which, richly clothed 
with herbage, forms an inlet in the stony plateau from north to 
south, and has a very cheerful aspect. The encampment, 
spread over a great extent of ground, formed quite an ethno- 
graphical museum, comprising as it did six distinct small 
caravan-troops from different parts of Africa, and even of 
Europe. 

Saturday, June 6th. A splendid morning, cool and fresh. 
"We were happy to meet a small caravan coming from Sudan, 
which brought us some important pieces of news : first, that 



46 the traveller's mishap. 

they had come to Grhat in the company of five men belonging 
to the family of A'nnur (the chief of the Kel-owi), who, after 
-a short stay, would return to their country ; and, secondly, 
that the expedition of the Kel-owi had returned from Kanem, 
after having totally annihilated the Welad Sliman. They 
brought with them seventeen slaves, among whom were fifteen 
females, one with a very engaging countenance. After less 
than three miles' march, our companions looked about in the 
Wadi Telisaghe for a camping-ground. The valley proved of 
more than ordinary interest. It was hemmed in by steep cliffs 
of rock, and adorned with some fine talha-trees. With no 
great reluctance we followed the Tawarek chiefs, who kept 
along its steep western border, and at length chose the camp- 
ing-ground at a spot where a western branch joins the principal 
wadi. 

Monday, July 15th. This was a dies ater for me. Overweg 
and I had determined to start early in the morning for a re- 
markable mountain ; but we had not been able to obtain from 
the Tawarek a guide to conduct us from thence to the next 
well, whither the caravan was to proceed by the direct road. 
Hatita and Utaeti having again resisted all our solicitations for 
a guide, I at length, determined as I was to visit the mountain 
at any cost, started off in the confidence of being able to make 
out the well in the direction indicated to me. By ill luck, our 
provision of zummita (a cool and refreshing paste on which we 
were accustomed to breakfast) was exhausted the day before, 
so that I was obliged to take with me dry biscuit and dates, 
the worst possible food in the desert when water is scarce. 

But as yet I needed no stimulus, and vigorously pushed my 
way through the sand-hills, which afforded no very pleasant 
passage. I then entered a wide, bare, desolate-looking plain, 
covered with black pebbles, from which arose a few black 
mounds. Here I crossed the beginning of a fiumara richly 
overgrown with herbage, which wound along through the sand- 
hills toward the large valley-plain. It was the abode of a 
beautiful pair of maraiya {Antelope Soemmeringii), which, 
probably anxious for their young ones, did not make off when 



THE TRAVELLER'S MISHAP. 47 

roused by my approach, but stopped at a short distance, gazing 
at me and wagging their tails. Pursuing my way over the 
pebbly ground, which gradually rose till it was broken up by a 
considerable ravine descending from the western part of the 
mount, I disturbed another party of three antelopes, which 
were quietly lying down under the cover of some large blocks. 
At last I began to feel fatigued from walking over the sharp- 
pointed pebbles, as the distance proved to be greater than I 
had originally imagined, and I did not seem to have got much 
nearer to the foot of the Enchanted Mountain. In fact, it 
proved that the crest of the mount formed a sort of horse-shoe, 
so that its middle part, for which I had been steering all the 
time, in order to gain a depression which seemed to afford an 
easy ascent, was by far the remotest. I therefore changed my 
course and turned more eastward, but only met with more an- 
noyance ; for, ascending the slope which I hoped would soon 
convey me to the summit, I suddenly came to the steep preci- 
pice of a deep ravine, which separated me from the crest. 

Being already fatigued, the disappointment, of course, de- 
pressed my spirits, and I had to summon all my resolution and 
energy in order to descend into the ravine and climb the other 
side. It was now past ten o'clock ; the sun began to put forth 
its full power, and there was not the slightest shade around 
me. In a state of the utmost exhaustion I at length reached 
the narrow pinnacled crest, which was only a few feet broad, 
and exhibited neither inscriptions nor sculptures. I had a fine 
prospect toward the S. W. and N. E. ; but I looked around 
in vain for any traces of our caravan. Though exposed to-the 
full rays of the sun, I lay down on my high barbacan to seek 
repose ; but my dry biscuit or a date was quite unpalatable, 
and being anxious about my little provision of water, I could 
only sip an insufficient draught from my small water-skin. 

As the day advanced I got anxious lest our little band, 
thinking that I was already in advance, might continue their 
march in the afternoon, and, in spite of my weakness, deter- 
mined to try to reach the encampment. I therefore descended 
the ravine in order to follow its course, which, according to 



48 ASTRAY IN THE DESERT. 

Hatita's indications, would lead me in the direction of the 
well. It was very hot; and being thirsty, I swallowed at once 
the little water that remained. This was about noon ; and I 
soon found that the draught of mere water, taken upon an 
empty stomach, had not at all restored my strength. 

At length I reached the bottom of the valley. Hatita had 
always talked as if they were to encamp at no great distance 
from the mountain ; yet, as far as I could strain my view, no 
living being was to be seen. At length I became puzzled as 
to my direction, and, hurrying on as fast as my failing strength 
would allow, I ascended a mound crowned with an ethel-bush, 
and fired my pistols ; but I waited in vain for an answer ; a 
strong east wind was blowing dead against me. Reflecting a 
moment on my situation, I then crossed the small sand-hills, 
and, ascending another mound, fired again. Convinced that 
there could be nobody in this direction, at least at a moderate 
distance, I bethought myself that our party might be still 
behind, and, very unluckily, I kept more directly eastward. 

The valley was here very richly overgrown with sebot ; and, 
to my great delight, I saw at a distance some small huts at- 
tached to branches of the ethel-tree, covered on the top with 
sebot, and open in front. With joy in my heart I hastened on 
toward them, but found them empty ; and not a living being- 
was to be seen, nor was there a drop of water to be got. 

My strength being now exhausted, I sat down on the naked 
plain, with a full view before me of the whole breadth of the 
wadi, and with some confidence expected the caravan. I even 
thought, for a moment, that I beheld a string of camels pass- 
ing in the distance. But it was an illusion ; and when the sun 
was about to set, not being able to muster strength enough to 
walk a few paces without sitting down, I had only to choose 
for my night's quarters between the deserted huts and an ethel- 
tree which I saw at a little distance. I chose the latter, as 
being on a more elevated spot, and therefore scrambled to the 
tree, which was of a respectable old age, with thick, tall 
branches, but almost leafless. It was my intention to light a 
fire, which promised almost certain deliverance ; but I could 



ASTRAY IN THE DESERT. 49 

not muster sufficient strength to gather a little wood. I was 
broken down and in a feverish state. 

Having lain down for an hour or two, after it became quite 
dark I arose from the ground, and, looking around me, descried 
to my great joy a large fire S. W. down the valley, and, hoping 
that it might be that of my companions, I fired a pistol, as the 
only means of communicating with them, and listened as the 
sound rolled along, feeling sure that it would reach their ears ; 
but no answer was returned. All remained silent. Still I saw 
the flame rising toward the sky, and telling where deliverance 
was to be found, without being able to avail myself of the sig- 
nal. Having waited long in vain, I fired a second time — yet 
no answer. I lay down in resignation, committing my life to 
the care of the Merciful One ; but it was in vain that I tried 
to sleep, and, restless and in a high fever, I tossed about on 
the ground, looking with anxiety and fear for the dawn of the 
next day. 

At length the long night wore away, and dawn was draw- 
ing nigh. All was repose and silence ; and I was sure I could 
not choose a better time for trying to inform my friends, by 
signal, of my whereabouts. I therefore collected all my 
strength, loaded my pistol with a heavy charge, and fired — 
once — twice. T thought the sound ought to awaken the dead 
from their tombs, so powerfully did it reverberate from the 
opposite range and roll along the wadi ; yet no answer. I was 
at a loss to account for the great distance apparently sepa- 
rating me from my companions, who seemed not to have heard 
my firing. 

The sun that I had half longed for, half looked forward to 
with terror, at last rose. My condition, as the heat went on 
increasing, became more dreadful, and I crawled around, 
changing every moment my position, in order to enjoy the 
little shade afforded by the leafless branches of the tree. About 
noon there was, of course, scarcely a spot of shade left — only 
enough for my head — and I suffered greatly from the pangs of 
thirst, although I sucked a little of my blood till I became 
senseless, and fell into a sort of delirium, from which I only 
5 d 



50 THE RESCUE. 

recovered when the sun went down behind the mountains. I 
then regained some consciousness, and crawled out of the 
shade of the tree, throwing a melancholy glance over the plain, 
when suddenly I heard the cry of a camel. It was the most 
delightful music I ever heard in my life ; and, raising myself a 
little from the ground, I saw a mounted Tarki passing at some 
distance from me, and looking eagerly around. He had found 
my footsteps in the sandy ground, and losing them again on 
the pebbles, was anxiously seeking traces of the direction I 
had taken. I opened my parched mouth, and crying, as loud 
as my faint strength allowed, " aman, aman " (water, water), 
I was rejoiced to get for answer, -' iwah ! Iwah !" and in a 
few moments he sat at my side, washing and sprinkling my 
head, while I broke out involuntarily into an uninterrupted 
strain of " el hamdu lillahi ! el hamdu lillahi I" 

Haviug thus first refreshed me, and then allowed me a 
draught, which, however, I was not able to enjoy, my throat 
being so dry, and my fever still continuing, my deliverer, 
whose name was Musa, placed me upon his camel, mounted 
himself in front of me, and brought me to the tents. They 
were a good way off. The joy of meeting again, after I had 
been already despaired of, was great ; and I had to express 
my sincere thanks to my companions, who had given themselves 
so much trouble to find me. But I could speak but little at 
first, and could scarcely eat anything for the next three days, 
after which I gradually recovered my strength. It is, indeed, 
very remarkable how quickly the strength of a European is 
broken in these climes, if for a single day he be prevented from 
taking his usual food. Nevertheless, I was able to proceed 
the next day (the Hth), when we kept more toward the slope 
of the Akakus, and here passed a broad lateral valley, rich in 
herbage, called A'dar-n-jelkum, after which we descended about 
a hundred feet from the pebbly ground into sandy soil forming 
a sort of valley called Ighelfannis, and full of ethel-trees and 
sebot. In such a locality we encamped two hours after noon, 
near splendid ethel-trees ; but the strong north-easterly wind, 



ARRIVAL AT GIIA'T. 51 

enveloping ourselves and baggage in thick clouds of sand, 
banished all enjoyment. 

Thursday, July 18th. We continued our march with the 
expectation of soon reaching Ghat, the second great station 
on our journey. The valley after some time became free from 
ethel-trees, and opened a view of the little town, situated at 
the north-western foot of a rocky eminence jutting out into the 
valley, and girt by sand-hills on the west. Its plantation 
extends in a long strip toward S.S.W., while another group, 
formed by the plantation and by the noble-looking mansion of 
H j Ahmed, appeared toward the west. Here we were joined 
by Mohammed Sherif, a nephew of Haj Ahmed, in a showy 
dress, and well mounted on a horse ; and we separated from 
Hatlta in order to take our way round the north side of the 
hill, so as to avoid exciting the curiosity and importunity of the 
townspeople. But a good many boys came out of the town, 
and exhibited quite an interesting scene as they recognised 
Yakiib (Mr. Richardson), who had visited this place on his 
former journey. Many people came out to see us, some offer- 
ing us their welcome, others remaining indifferent spectators. 

Thus we reached the new plantation of Haj Ahmed, the 
governor, as he is called, of Ghat, and found, at the entrance 
of the outbuilding which had been destined for our use, the 
principal men of the town, who received us with great kind- 
ness and politeness. The most interesting among them was 
Haj Ahmed himself, a man of grave and dignified manners, who, 
although a stranger to the place and a native of Tawat, had suc- 
ceeded, through his address and his mercantile prosperity, in ob- 
taining for himself here an almost princely position, and has 
founded in reality anew town, with large and splendid improve- 
ments, by the side of the old city. His situation as governor of 
Ghat, in reference, and in some degree in opposition to the Ta- 
warek chiefs, is a very peculiar one, and requires, on his part, a 
good deal of address, patience, and forbearance. I am con- 
vinced that when we first arrived he did not view us with displea- 
sure, but, on the contrary, was greatly pleased to receive under 
his roof a mission of her Britannic majesty's government, with 




52 DIFFICULTY OF NEGOTIATING. 

whose immense influence and power, and the noble purpose of 
whose policy he was not entirely unacquainted ; but his extra- 
ordinary and precarious situation did not allow him to act 
freely, and, besides, I cannot say that he received from us so 
warm an acknowledgement as his conduct in the first instance 
seemed to deserve. 

Besides him, the chief parties in our first conversation were 
his nephew, Ahmed Mohammed Sherif 
(the man who came to meet us), a clever 
but forward lad, of pleasant manners — 
whom, in the course of my travels, I met 
several times in Sudan — and Mohammed 
Kafa, a cheerful, good-humored man. 

Our quarters, of which the accompany- 
ing wood-cut gives the ground-plan, were 
certainly neither airy nor agreeable ; but the hot sand-wind 
which blew without made them appear to us quite tolerable. 

The town of Ghat (the favored locality of which might be 
presumed to have attracted a settlement at a very early age) is 
not mentioned by any Arabic author except the traveller Ebn 
Batiita in the 14th century, and seems never to have been a 
large place. Even now it is a small town of about 250 houses, 
but nevertheless of considerable commercial importance, which 
would become infinitely greater if the jealousy of the Tawati 
would allow the opening of the direct road from Timbuktu, 
which seems to be under the special protection of the powerful 
chief Gemama. 

Our negotiation with the Tawarek chiefs might have been 
conducted with more success if a letter written by her majesty's 
government to the chief Jabur had not been produced at the 
very moment when all the chiefs present were ready to sub- 
scribe the treaty. But their attention was entirely distracted 
from the object in view. This letter made direct mention of 
the abolition of the slave-trade ; hence it became a very diffi- 
cult and delicate matter, especially as Mr. Richardson's sup- 
plies of merchandise and presents at that moment were entirely 
in the hands of the merchant Haj Ibrahim, who, even if liberal 



DEPARTURE FROM GHA'T. 53 

enough to abstain from intrigue against admitting the compe- 
tition of English merchants, would be sure to do all in his 
power to prevent the abolition of the slave-trade. 

It is a serious undertaking to enter into direct negotiation 
with these Tawarek * chiefs, the absolute masters of several of 
the most important routes to Central Africa.-)- It required 
great skill, entire confidence, and no inconsiderable amount of 
means, of which we were extremely deficient. To this vexation 
let there be added the petulant and indiscreet behavior of our 
servants, who were exasperated by the sufferings of the Rha- 
madan during the hottest season of the year, and were too 
well aware of the insufficiency of our means to carry out the 
objects of our mission, and the reader will easily understand 
that we were extremely glad when, after repeated delays, we 
were at length able to leave this place in the pursuance of our 
journey. 



CHAPTER IY. 



Departure from Ghat — Visit to Barakat — Utaeti and the KeT-owi join the 
Caravan — Abd-el-Kader — Highest Mountain Pass — Alarming report of 
Robbers — Servant sick with the Guinea Worm — The Tiny'lkum join 
the Caravan — Mararraba — Mohammed Boro threatens hostilities — 
Arrival at Asiu — Approach of an enemy — Great alarm in the Caravan 
— Three mysterious visitors — Shrewd advice of Abd-el-Kader — The 
Slaves' Dance — Strange and suspicious conduct of Didi — Arrival at 
frontier of Air or Asben. 

[" The departure from Ghat," says Mr. Richardson, "in his 
journal, was for most of us an exciting moment. So far I 
had considered myself, comparatively, on familiar ground ; for 
although I had followed different routes, the great points of 
Miirzuk and Ghat were well known to me. Now, however, 

* [Mr. Richardson writes the name of this tribe Tuarick. They are 
robbers by profession, and are the terror of all North Central Africa. — 
Ed.] 

•j- Jackson was the first who pointed out the importance of entering 
into direct negotiation with the Tawarek. 
5* 



54 

we were about to enter upon a region totally unknown, of 
which no authentic accounts from eye-witnesses — unless we 
count the varying reports of natives — had ever reached us; 
valleys unexplored ; deserts unconfronted ; countries which no 
European had ever surveyed. Before us, somewhere in the 
heart of the Sahara, raised into magnificence perhaps by the 
mirage of reports, was the unknown kingdom of Aheer (called 
Air, or Asben, by Dr. Barth), of which Leo Africanus hints 
something ; but the names of whose great cities are scattered 
as if at hap-hazard over the maps, possibly hundreds of miles 
out of their right position. What reception shall we meet 
with in that untried land ?"] 

On the morning of the 26th of July, continues Dr. Barth, I 
once more found myself on the back of my camel, and from 
my elevated seat threw a last glance over the pleasant picture 
of the oasis of Ghat. The town of Barakat, lying at the foot 
of a sandy eminence stretching north and south, became now 
and then visible on our right, glittering through the thinner 
parts of the plantation. 

Being prepared for a good day's march, as not only the 
Tiny'lkuin were reported to have left Arikim several days ago, 
but as even the little caravan of Kel-owi, with whom we had 
made arrangements for protection and company on the road, 
was a considerable way in advance, we were greatly astonished 
when ordered to encamp near the scattered palm-trees at the 
extreme eastern end of the plantation. Utaeti, who had ac- 
companied us all the way from Ghat on foot, chose the camp- 
ing-ground. Mr. Richardson, who had been behind, was not 
less astonished when he found us encamped at so early an hour. 
But our camels, which seemed to have been worked during our 
-stay at Ghat, instead of being allowed to recover their strength 
by rest and pasture, were in great want of some good feeding, 
and there was much aghul (Eedysarum Alhajji) about our en- 
campment. Toward noon we were visited by several Hogar,* 

* [The -whole race that inhabits between the borders of Fezzan and Tim- 
buktu are Haghar (Hogar). The Tuaricks (Tawarek) of Ghat are pro- 
perly distinguished as Aghar (Azkar), and those located towards Tuat 
as Haghar. — Richardson.] 



55 

or rather Azkar, who proved a little troublesome, but not so 
much so as the townspeople, who caused us a great deal of 
annoyance both during the evening and on the following morn- 
ing, and gave us some idea of what might await us farther on. 
Being annoyed at our delay here, I accompanied two of Mr. 
Richardson's people and the young son of Yusuf Mukni, who 
wished to go into the town to buy a fowl. We were followed 
by two men from among the townspeople, who wanted to extort 
a present from me, and one of whom, by bawling out the cha- 
racteristic phrase of his creed, made me fear lest he might suc- 
ceed in exciting all the people against me. The town was dis- 
tant from our encampment a mile and a quarter, and having 
once reached its wall, I determined to enter it. The town, or 
agherim, forms a tolerably regular quadrangle, on an open piece 
of ground at the eastern foot of the sandy eminence, and is 
inclosed by a wall (agaddr), built of clay, about five-and-twenty 
feet high, and provided with quadrangular towers. We 
entered it by the eastern gate, which, being defended by a 
tower, has its entrance from the side, and leads first to a small 
court with a well, from which another arched passage leads 
into the streets. Here several women, of good figure and 
decently dressed, were seated tranquilly, as it seemed, enjoying 
the cool air of the afternoon, for they had no occupation, nor 
were they selling anything. Although I was dressed in a 
common blue Sudan shirt, and tolerably sunburnt, my fairer 
complexion seemed to alarm them, and some of them withdrew 
•into the interior of the houses crying "la ilah." Still, I was 
not molested nor insulted by the people passing by, and I was 
pleased that several of them courteously answered my salute. 
They were apparently not of pure Berber blood. It appeared 
that a good many of the inhabitants had gone to their date- 
groves to look after the harvest, as the fruit was just about to 
ripen ; hence the place, though in good repair ana very clean, 
had a rather solitary appearance. There is no commerce in 
this place as in Ghat, the whole wealth of the inhabitants con- 
sisting in their plantations. Yet they are said to be better off 
than the population of Ghat, who are exposed to great and 



56 A PLEASANT PROSPECT. 

continual extortions from the Tawarek on account of their 
origin, while the people of Barakat enjoy certain privileges. 
The houses were all two or three stories high, and well built, 
the clay being nicely polished. A few palm-trees decorate the 
interior of the town. It is of still more diminutive size than 
Ghat, containing about two hundred houses ; but it is built 
with great regularity. 

Having stuck fast a while in a lane which had no thorough- 
fare, we at length got safely out of the little town of Barakat 
by the south gate. 

Friday, July 26^. Having waited a long time for TJtaeti, 
we at length started without him, passing on our right a beau- 
tiful palm-grove, with as many as ten thousand trees, while 
our left was bordered by scattered gardens, where the people 
were busy in the cool of the morning irrigating the corn and 
vegetables, with the assistance of Sudan oxen. They came 
out to see us pass by, but without expressing any feeling, hos- 
tile or otherwise. After a mile and a half the plantation 
ceased, at the bed of a torrent which contained a pond of rain- 
water collected from the higher rocky ground, which here 
terminates. 

But a more luxuriant valley, from three to four miles broad, 
begins further on, rich in herbage, and full of ethel-trees, all 
crowning the tops of small mounds. Here we encamped near 
a pond of dirty rain-water, frequented by great flocks of doves 
and water-fowl, and a well called I'zayen, in order to wait for 
TJtaeti. The well was only about three feet deep, but the 
water brackish and disagreeable. Our friend came at length, 
and it was then decided to reach the Kel-owi ; we therefore 
left our pleasant camping-ground about half past nine in the 
evening, favored by splendid moonlight. So interesting was 
the scene, that, absorbed in my thoughts, I got considerably 
in advance*of the caravan, and, not observing a small path 
which turned off on the right, I followed the larger one till I 
became conscious of my solitary situation, and, dismounting, 
lay down in order to await my companions. Our caravan, 
however, had taken the other path, and my fellow-travellers 



THE TAWA r TI. 57 

grew rather anxious about me ; but my camel, which was evi- 
dently aware of the caravan ahead of us, would not give up 
this direction, which proved to be the right one, and after I 
had joined the caravan we were obliged to return to my former 
path. 

Here we found the small Kel-owi caravan encamped in the 
midst of a valley well covered with herbage, near the well Ka- 
rada. Our new companions were perfect specimens of the 
mixed Berber and Sudan blood, and, notwithstanding all their 
faults, most useful as guides. It was two hours after mid- 
night when we arrived ; and, after a short repose, we started 
again tolerably early the next morning. 

July 28//?,. I had a long conversation this morning with the 
Tawati 'Abd el Kader, who had come with the pilgrim cara- 
van as far as Ghat, and, together with another companion, had 
attached himself to the Kel-owi in order to go to A'gades. 
He was a smart fellow, of light complexion and handsome 
countenance, but had lost one eye in a quarrel. He was armed 
with a long gun with a good English lock, of which he was 
very proud. He had, when young, seen the rais (Major Laing) 
at Tawat, and knew something about Europeans, and chiefly 
Englishmen. Smart and active as this fellow was, he was so 
ungallant as to oblige his young female slave, who was at once 
his mistress, cook, and servant, to walk the whole day on foot, 
while he generally rode. 

A little after noon we encamped in the corner of a valley 
rich in sebot, and adorned with some talha-trees, at the foot 
of cliffs of considerable height, which were to be ascended the 
following day. 

Monday, July 29th. We began our task early in the morn- 
ing. The path, winding along through loose blocks on a pre- 
cipitous ascent, proved very difficult. Several loads were 
thrown off the camels ; and the boat several times came into 
collision with the rocks, which, but for its excellent material, 
might have damaged it considerably. The whole of the cliffs 
consisted of red sandstone, which was now and then interrupted 
by clay slate of a greenish color. The ascent took us almost 



58 HIGH MOUNTAIN PASS. 

two hours ; and from the level of the plateau we obtained a 
view of the ridge stretching towards Arikirn, the passage of 
which was said to be still more difficult. Having successively- 
ascended and descended a little, we then entered a tolerably- 
regular valley, and followed its windings till about noon, when 
we once more emerged upon the rugged rocky level, where 
Amankay, the well-travelled biisu or mulatto of Tasawa, 
brought us a draught of deliciously cool water, which he had 
found in a hollow in the rocks. Here our route meandered in 
a very remarkable way, so that I could not lay aside my com- 
pass for a moment ; and the path was sometimes reduced to 
a narrow crevice between curiously-terraced buttresses of 
rocks. 

The ground having at length become more open, we en- 
camped about a quarter past three o'clock in a small ravine 
with a little sprinkling of herbage. 

Here we had reached an elevation of not less than 4000 feet 
above the sea — the greatest elevation of the desert to be passed, 
or rather of that part of Africa over which our travels ex- 
tended. The rugged and bristling nature of this elevated tract 
prevented our obtaining any extensive views. This region, if 
it were not the wildest and most rugged of the whole desert, 
limiting vegetation to only a few narrow crevices and valleys, 
would be a very healthy and agreeable abode for man, but it 
can only support a few nomadic stragglers. This, I am con- 
vinced, is the famous mountain Tantanah, the abode of the 
Azkiir mentioned by the early Arabic geographers, although, 
instead of placing it to the south-west of Fezzan, they gene- 
rally give it a southerly direction. I am not aware that a 
general name is now given to this region. 

The descent took us two hours, when we reached the bottom 
of a narrow ravine about sixty feet broad, which at first was 
strewn with large blocks carried down by occasional floods, 
but a little farther on had a floor of fine sand and gravel. 
Here the valley is joined by a branch wadi, or another ravine 
coming from the north. Xear the junction it is tolerably wide ; 
but a few hundred yards farther on it narrows between steep 



DEEP RAVINE OF e'gERI. 59 

precipitous cliffs, looking almost like walls erected by the hand 
of man, and more than a thousand feet high, and forms there 
a pond of rain-water. 

The locality was so interesting that I reluctantly took leave 
of it, fully intending to return the following day with the 
camels when they were to be watered ; but, unfortunately, the 
alarming news which reached us at our camping-ground pre- 
vented my doing so. I will only observe that this valley, 
which is generally called E'geri, is identical with the celebrated 
valley Amais or Mais, the name of which became known in 
Europe many years ago. 

Having gone on a little more than three miles from the 
watering-place, we encamped, and the whole expedition found 
ample room under the wide-spreading branches of a single 
ethel-tree, the largest we had yet seen. Here the valley was 
about half a mile broad, and altogether had a very pleasant 
character. 

I was greatly mortified on reflecting that the uncertainty of 
our relations in the country, and the precarious protection we 
enjoyed, would not allow me to visit Janet, the most favored 
spot in this mountainous region ; but a great danger was sud- 
denly announced to us, which threatened even to drive us from 
that attractive spot. An expedition had been prepared against 
us by the mighty chieftain Sidi Jafel inek (son of Sakertaf), 
to whom a great number of the Imghad settled thereabouts are 
subject as bondmen or serfs. 

Upon the circumstances of this announcement and its con- 
sequences, which have been fully detailed by the late Mr. 
Kichardson, I shall not dwell, but will only observe that this 
transaction made us better acquainted with the character of 
each of our new friends. * 

August 2d. We entered upon the first regular day's march 
since we left Ghat. After a stretch of nine miles, an interest- 

* [Mr. Richardson says that the news came in a letter to Hatita and 
Jabour. Subsequently he says they learned that Sidi Jafel did leave 
Jouret as if bound for Tajetterat, but it was for the purpose of giving 
his camels a feeding of herbage in that direction. — Ed.] 



60 ise'tteti. 

ing peak called Mount Tiska, rising to an elevation of about 
600 feet, and surrounded by some smaller cones, formed the 
conspicuous limit of the rocky ridges. The country became 
entirely flat and level, but with a gradual ascent, the whole 
ground being formed of coarse gravel ; and there was nothing 
to interrupt the monotonous plain but a steep ridge, called Ma- 
riaw, at the distance of about five miles to the east. 

Thursday r , August 8th. After a mile and a half's march the 
country became more open and free, and those ridges of 
granite rock which had been characteristic of the region just 
passed over ceased ; but ahead of us considerable mountain 
masses were seen ; the whole mountainous district, in which the 
long range called Isetteti is conspicuous, being named A'nahef. 

In the evening Mr. Richardson bought from some sportsmen 
a quantity of the meat of the waclan, or (as the Tawarek call 
it) aiidad (Ovis tragelaphos'f), an animal very common in the 
mountainous districts of the desert, and very often found in 
company with the wild ox. As for myself, I kept my tent, 
filling up from my memorandum-book my last day's journal, 
and then, full of the expectation that we were now about to 
enter more pleasant regions, lay down on my hard couch. 

August llth. We encamped in a valley joined by several 
branch vales, and therefore affording a good supply of herb- 
age, which the Kel-owi were anxious to collect as a supply for 
the journey over the entirely bare tract to Asiu. As for our- 
selves, one of our servants being utterly unfit for work, we 
could not lay in a supply. We had been rather unfortunate 
with this fellow ; for, having hired him in Miirzuk, he was laid 
up with the Guinea-worm from the very day that we left Ghat, 
and was scarcely of any use at all. This disease is extremely 
frequent among people travelling along this route ; Amankay 
also was suffering from it, and at times became quite a burden. 
It attacked James Bruce even after his return to Europe ; and 
I always dreaded it more than any other disease during my 
travels in Central Africa ; but, fortunately, by getting a less 

* [The Moufflon. — Richardson.] 



THE TINY r LKUM JOIN THE CARAVAN. 61 

serious one, which I may call sore legs, I got rid of the causes 
which I am sure, when acting in a stronger degree, produce 
the vena. 

Monday, August 12th. Our route followed the windings of 
the valley, which, farther on, exhibited more ethel than talha- 
trees, besides detached specimens of the Asclepias. After a 
march of four miles and a half we came to two wells about 
four feet deep, and took in a small supply of water. 

Delighted by the report of Amankay, who came to meet us, 
that he had succeeded in detaining the caravan of the Tiny'l- 
kum at Aisala, where they were waiting for us, we cheerfully 
continued our march; but before we reached the place the 
whole character of the country changed, the cliffs being craggy 
and split into huge blocks, heaped upon each other in a true 
Cyclopean style, such as only Nature can execute, while the 
entire hollow was covered with granite masses, scarcely allow- 
ing a passage. Descending these, we got sight of the encamp- 
ment of the caravan in a widening of the hollow ; and, after 
paying our compliments to all the members of this motley band, 
we encamped a little beyond, in a recess of the western cliffs. 

The Tiny'lkum as well as Boro Serki-n-turawa were very 
scantily provided. They had lost so much time on the road 
on our account that it was necessary, as well as just, to leave 
them part of the provisions which they were carrying for us. 
All our luggage we found in the best state. Very much 
against their will, our companions had been supplied on the 
road with the flesh of nine camels, which had succumbed to 
the fatigues of the march ; and some of them, and especially 
our energetic friend Haj 'Omar, had obtained a tolerable 
supply by hunting : besides wadans, they had killed also several 
gazelles, though we had scarcely seen any. 

They had been lingering in this place four days, and were 
most anxious to go on. But we had a great deal to do ; for 
all our luggage was to be repacked, all the water-skins to be 
filled, and herbage and wood to be collected for the road. 
Besides Ibrahim, who was lame and useless, Overweg and my- 
6 



62 MARA r RR ABA. 

self had only two servants, one of whom (Mohammed, the libe- 
rated Tunisian slave) was at times a most insolent rascal. 

In the afternoon the Tiny'lkum started in advance, and we 
followed them, the hollow gradually widening and becoming 
clothed with large knots of ethel-bushes. At the point where 
this valley joins another, and where a large quantity of herbage 
bedecked the ground, we found our friends encamped, and 
chose our ground a little beyond them, near alow cliff of gra- 
nite rocks. All the people were busily employed in cutting 
herbage for the journey, while Mr. Richardson at length suc- 
ceeded in satisfying Utaeti, who was to return. He had been 
begging most importunately from me ; and, by way of acknow- 
ledging my obligations to him, I presented him, on parting, 
with a piece of white muslin and a red sash, together with 
something for Hatita. 

These parties were scarcely quieted when others took their 
place, urging their pretensions to our acknowledgments ; and 
we had just started the next day when Boro Serki-n-turawa 
dispatched, underhand, my smart friend the Tawati 'Abd el 
Kader, with full instructions to give me a lecture on his bound- 
less power and influence in the country which we were fast ap- 
proaching. I was aware of this before, and knew that, in our 
situation as unprotected travellers in a new country, we ought 
to have secured his friendly disposition from the beginning ; 
but the means of the expedition being rather limited, Mr. 
Richardson had made it a principle never to give till compelled 
by the utmost necessity, when the friendly obligation connected 
with the present was, if not destroyed, at least greatly 
diminished. 

August loth. We arrived at Mararraba, the "half-way" 
between Ghat and Air, a place regarded with a kind of reli- 
gious awe by the natives, who, in passing, place each a stone 
upon the mighty granite blocks which mark the spot. To our 
left we had irregular rocky ground, with a few elevations rising 
to a greater height, and ahead a very remarkable granite crest, 
sometimes rising, at others descending, with its slopes enveloped 
in sand up to the very top. This ridge, which is called Gifeng- 



iee'llakang. 63 

wetang, and which looks very much like an artificial wall 
erected between the dry desert and the more favored region 
of the tropics, we crossed, further on, through an opening like a 
saddle, and among sand-hills, where the slaves of our com- 
panions ran about to pick up and collect the few tufts of herb- 
age that were scattered over the surface, in order to furnish a 
fresh mouthful to the poor wearied animals. At four o'clock 
the sand-hills ceased, and were succeeded by a wide pebbly 
plain, on which, after six miles' travelling, we encamped. 

Our encampment was by no means a quiet one ; and to any 
one who paid due attention to the character and disposition of 
the people, serious indications of a storm, which was gathering 
over us, became visible. Mohammed Boro, who had so 
often given vent to his feelings of revenge for the neglect with 
which he had been treated, was all fire and fury ; -and, stirring 
up the whole encampment, he summoned all the people to a 
council, having, as he said, received intelligence that a large 
party of Hogar was coming to Asiu. Not having paid much 
attention to the report about Sidi Jafel's expedition, I became 
anxious when made aware of the man's fury, for I knew the 
motives which actuated him. 

Friday, August lQth. We started early. Gravelly and 
pebbly grounds succeeded each other, the principal formation 
being granite ; but when, after a march of about thirteen miles, 
we passed the narrow sandy spur of a considerable ridge ap- 
proaching our left, a fine species of white marble became visi- 
ble. We then passed a rugged district, of peculiar and deso- 
late appearance, called Ibellakang, and crossed a ridge of 
gneiss covered with gravel. Here, while a thunder-storm was 
rising in the east, our caravan, to our great regret, divided, the 
Tiny'lkum turning off toward the east, in order, as we were 
told, to look for a little herbage among the sand-hills. Mean- 
while, thick, heavy clouds, which had been discharging a great 
quantity of rain toward the east, broke over us at a quarter 
past four o'clock in the afternoon, when we were just in the act 
of crossing another rocky crest covered with gravel. A vio- 
lent sand-storm, followed by heavy rain, which was driven 



64 As'iu. 

along by a furious gale, soon threw the caravan into the utmost 
confusion, and made all observation impossible ; but, fortu- 
nately, it did not last long. 

It was on descending from this crest, while the weather 
cleared up, that the Hausa slaves, with a feeling of pride and 
joy, pointed out in the far distance " diitsi-n-Absen " (Mount 
Absen). Here the granite formation had been gradually suc- 
ceeded by sandstone and slate. This district, indeed, seems 
to be the line of demarcation between two different zones. 

At twenty minutes past six o'clock we at length encamped, 
but were again in the saddle at eleven o'clock at night, and in 
pale moonlight, sleepy and worn out as we were, began a 
dreadful night's march. But altogether it proved to be a wise 
measure taken by the Kel-owi, who had reason to be afraid 
lest the Hogar, of whom they appeared to have trustworthy 
news, might overtake us before we reached the walls of As'iu, 
and then treat us as they pleased. Our companions, who 
were, of course, themselves not quite insensible to fatigue, as 
night advanced became very uncertain in their direction, and 
kept much too far to the south. When day dawned, our road 
lay over a flat, rocky, sandstone surface, while we passed on 
our left a locality remarkable for nothing but its name, Efi- 
nagha. We then descended from the rocky ground into the 
extremely shallow valley of As'iu, overgrown with scanty herb- 
age of a kind not much liked by the camels. Here we en- 
camped, near a group of four wells, which still belong to the 
Azkar, while a little farther on there are others which the Kel- 
owi regard as their own property. How it was that we did 
not encamp near the latter I cannot say. But the people 
were glad to have got so far. The wells, or at least two of 
them, afforded an abundant supply of water ; but it was not 
of a good quality, and had a peculiar taste, I think on account 
of the iron ore with which it was impregnated. 

This, then, was As'iu, a place important for the caravan- 
trade at all times, on account of the routes from Ghadames 
and from Tawat joining here, and which did so even as far back 
as the time when the famous traveller Ebn Batuta returned 



ALARM IN THE CARAVAN. 65 

from his enterprising journey to Sudan homeward by way of 
Tawat (in the year 1853-4). Desolate and melancholy as it 
appeared, it was also an important station to us, as we thought 
that we had now left the most difficult part of the journey 
behind us; for, though I myself had some forebodings of a 
danger threatening us, we had no idea that the difficulties 
which we should have to encounter were incomparably greater 
than those which we had passed through. Mr. Richardson 
supposed that because we had reached the imaginary frontier 
of the territories of the Azkar and Kel-owi, we were beyond 
the reach of any attack from the north. With the utmost ob- 
stinacy he reprobated as absurd any supposition that such a 
frontier might be easily crossed by nomadic roving tribes, as- 
serting that these frontiers in the desert were respected much 
more scrupulously than any frontier of Austria, notwithstand- 
ing the innumerable host of its land-waiters. But he was soon 
to be undeceived on all the points of his desert diplomacy, at 
his own expense and that of us all. 

Sunday, August 18th. After a two hours' march we began 
to ascend, first gradually, then more steeply, all the rocks here- 
abouts consisting of slate, greatly split and rent, and covered 
with sand. In twenty-five minutes we reached the higher level, 
which consisted of pebbly ground with a ridge running, at the 
distance of about four miles, to the west. 

While we were quietly pursuing our road, with the Kel-owi 
in the van, the Tiny'lkum marching in the rear, suddenly Mo- 
hammed the Sfaksi came running behind us, swinging his 
musket over his head, and crying lustily, " He awelad, awelad 
bii, 'aduna ja" ("Lads, lads, our enemy has come,") and 
spreading the utmost alarm through the whole caravan. Every 
body seized his arms, whether musket, spear, sword, or bow; 
and whosoever was riding jumped down from his camel. Some 
time elapsed before it was possible, amid the noise and uproar, 
to learn the cause of the alarm. At length it transpired. A 
man named Mohammed, belonging to the caravan, having re- 
mained a little behind at the well, had observed three Tawarek 
mounted on mehara approaching at a rapid rate ; and while he 
6* E 



66 APPROACH OF THE ENEMY. 

* 

himself followed the caravan, he left his slave behind to see 
whether others were in the rear. The slave, after a while, 
overtook him with the news that several more camels had 
become visible in the distance, and then Mohammed and his 
slave hurried on to bring us the intelligence. Even Mr. 
Richardson, who, being rather hard of hearing, judged of our 
situation only from the alarm, descended from his slender little 
she-camel and cocked his pistols. A warlike spirit seemed to 
have taken possession of the whole caravan ; and I am persuaded 
that, had we been attacked at this moment, all would have 
fought valiantly. But such is not the custom of freebooting 
parties : they will cling artfully to a caravan, and first intro- 
duce themselves in a tranquil and peaceable way, till they have 
succeeded in disturbing the little unity which exists in such a 
troop, composed as it is of the most different elements ; they 
then gradually throw off the mask, and in general attain their 
object. 

^Vhen at length a little tranquillity had been restored, and 
plenty of powder and shot had been distributed among those 
armed with firelocks, the opinion began to prevail that, even 
if the whole of the report should be true, it was not probable 
that we should be attacked by daylight. We therefore conti- 
nued our march with a greater feeling of security, while a body 
of archers was dispatched to learn the news of a small caravan 
which was coining from Sudan, and marching at some distance 
from us, behind a low ridge of rocks. They were a few Tebu, 
with ten camels and between thirty and forty slaves, uncon- 
sciously going to meet a terrible fate ; for we afterward learned 
that the Irnghad of the Hogar, or rather the Hadanara, disap- 
pointed at our having passed through their country without 
their getting anything from us, had attacked this little troop, 
murdering the Tebu, and carrying off their camels and slaves. 
At noon we began to ascend on rocky ground, and, after a 
very gradual ascent of three miles, reached the higher level, 
strewn with pebbles, but exhibiting further on a rugged slaty 
soil, till we reached the valley Fenorang. This valley, which 
is a little less than a mile in breadth, is famous for its rich 



PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE. 6t 

supply of herbage. Notwithstanding, therefore, the danger 
which threatened us, it was determined to remain here not only 
this, but also the following day. 

As soon as the loads were taken off their backs, the half- 
starved camels fell to devouring eagerly the fine herbage offered 
them. Meanwhile we encamped as close together as possible, 
preparing ourselves for the worst, and looking anxiously 
around in every direction. But nobody was to be seen till the 
evening, when the three men on their mehara made their ap- 
pearance, and, being allowed to approach the caravan, made 
no secret of the fact that a greater number was behind them. 

Aware of what might happen, our small troop had all their 
arms ready, in order to repulse any attack ; but the Kel-owi 
and the few Askar who were in our caravan kept us back, and, 
after a little talk, allowed the visitors to lie down for the night 
near our encampment, and even solicited our hospitality in 
their behalf. Nevertheless, all of them well knew that the 
strangers were freebooters, who could not but have bad de- 
signs against us ; and the experienced old Awed el Kher, the 
sheikh of the Kafila, came expressly to us, warning and beg- 
ging us to be on our guard, while Bdro Serki-n-turawa began 
to play a conspicuous part, addressing the Kel-owi and Tiny'l- 
kum in a formal speech, and exhorting them to stand by us. 
Everybody was crying for powder, and nobody could get 
enough. Our clever but occasionally very troublesome servant 
Mohammed conceived a strategical plan, placing on the north 
side of the two tents the four pieces of the boat, behind each 
of which one of us had to take his station in case of an 
attack. 

Having had some experience of freebooters' practices in my 
former wanderings, I knew that all this was mere farce and 
mockery, and the only way of insuring our safety would have 
been to prevent these scouts from approaching us at all. We 
kept watch the whole night ; and of course the strangers, see- 
ing us well on our guard, and the whole caravan still in high 
spirits and in unity, ventured upon nothing. 

In the morning our three guests (who, as I made out, did 



68 'abd el ka'ber. 

not belong to the Askar, but were Kel-fade from the northern 
districts of Air) went slowly away, but only to join their com- 
panions, who had kept at some distance beyond the rocky 
ridge which bordered, or, rather, interrupted the valley to the 
westward. There some individuals of the caravan, who went 
to cut herbage, found the fresh traces of nine camels. In spite 
of outward tranquillity, there was much matter for anxiety and 
much restlessness in the caravan, and suddenly an alarm was 
given that the camels had been stolen ; but, fortunately, it 
proved to be unfounded. 

'Abd el Kader, the Tawati of whom I have spoken above, 
trying to take advantage of this state of things, came to Mr. 
Overweg, and earnestly pressed him to deposit everything of 
value with Awed el Kher, the Kel-owi, and something, " of 
course,' ' with him also. This was truly very disinterested 
advice ; for, if anything had happened to us, they would ; of 
course, have become our heirs. In the evening we had again 
three guests, not, however, the same as before, but some of 
their companions, who belonged to the Hadanara, one of the 
divisions of the Azkar. 

Tuesday, August 20th. At an early hour we started with 
an uneasy feeling. With the first dawn the true believers had 
been called together to prayer, and the bond which united the 
Mohammedan members of the caravan with the Christian tra- 
vellers had been loosened in a very conspicuous manner. Then 
the encampment broke up and we set out, not, however, as we 
had been accustomed to go latterly, every little party starting 
off as soon as they were ready, but all waiting till the whole 
caravan had loaded their camels, when we began our march in 
close order, first along the valley, then entering upon higher 
ground, sometimes gravelly, at others rocky. 

Being in the first line of our caravan, and not feeling so 
sure on the camel as on foot, I dismounted, and marched for- 
ward, leading my meheri by the nose-cord, and with my eyes 
fixed upon the scene before us. But how much was I surprised 
when I saw two of the four unknown individuals executing a 
wild sort of armed dance together with the Kel-owi, while the 



THE slaves' dance. 69 

others were sitting quietly on the ground. Much perplexed, 
I continued to move slowly on, when two of the men who had 
danced suddenly rushed upon me, and, grasping the rope of 
my camel, asked for tribute. Quite unprepared for such a 
scene under such circumstances, I grasped my pistol, when, 
just at the right time, I learned the reason and character of 
this curious proceeding. 

The little eminence on the top of which we had observed 
the people, and at the foot of which the armed dance was per- 
formed, is an important locality in the modern history of the 
country which we had reached ; for here it was that when the 
Kel-owi (at that time an unmixed and pure Berber tribe, as it 
seems) took possession of the country of Old Gdber, with its 
capital, Tin-shaman, a compromise or covenant was entered 
into between the red conquerors and the black natives that the 
latter should not be destroyed, and that the principal chief of 
the Kel-owi should only be allowed to marry a black woman. 
And, as a memorial of this transaction, the custom has been 
preserved, that when caravans pass the spot where the cove- 
nant was entered into, near the little rock Maket-n-ikelan, 
"the slaves" shall be merry and be authorized to levy upon 
their masters a small tribute. The black man who stopped 
me was the " serki-n-bai" (the principal or chief of the 



These poor merry creatures, while the caravan was proceed- 
ing on its march, executed another dance ; and the whole 
would have been an incident of the utmost interest if our minds 
and those of all the well-disposed members of the caravan had 
not been greatly oppressed and vexed with sad forebodings of 
mishap. The fear was so great that the amiable and sociable 
Sliman (one of the Tiny'lkum, who at a later period manifested 
his sympathy with us in our misfortunes) begged me most 
urgently to keep more in the middle of the caravan, as he was 
afraid that one of those ruffians might suddenly rush upon 
me and pierce me with his spear. 

We encamped at length on an open gravelly plain, sur- 
rounded by ridges of rocks, without pitching our tents; for 



10 ROCK-SCULPTURES. 

our unwished-for guests had, in the face of the Tiny'lkum, 
openly declared that their design was to kill us, but that they 
wanted first to get more assistance. Notwithstanding this, 
Mr. Richardson even to-night was obliged to feed these ruf- 
fians — such is the weakness of a caravan ; although, in our 
case, the difference of religion and consequent want of unity 
could not but greatly contribute to paralyze its strength. I 

here heard that some of the party were Imghad from Ta- 

•» 
domat. 

Under such circumstances, and in such a state of feeling, it 
was impossible to enjoy the sport and frolics of the slaves 
(that is, of the domestic slaves) of the Kel-owi, who, with 
wild gestures and cries, were running about the encampment 
to exact from all the free individuals of the caravan their little 
Maket-n-ikelan tribute, receiving from one a small quantity of 
dates, from another a piece of muslin or a knife, from another 
a shirt. Everybody was obliged to give something, however 
small. Notwithstanding our long day's march, Overweg and 
I found it necessary to be on the watch the whole night. 

August 21st. Notwithstanding our perilous situation, I 
could not help straying about, and found, on the blocks over 
the tebki or pond, some coarse rock-sculptures representing 
oxen, asses, and a very tall animal, which, according to the 
Kel-owi, was intended to represent the giraffe. 

While I was enjoying the scenery of the place, Didi stepped 
suddenly behind me, and tried to throw me down, but, not suc- 
ceeding, laid his hands from behind upon the pistols which I 
wore in my belt, trying, by way of experiment, whether I was 
able to use them notwithstanding his grasp ; but,- turning 
sharply round, I freed myself from his hold, and told him that 
no effeminate person like himself should take me. He was a 
cunning and insidious fellow, and I trusted him the least of 
our Kel-owi friends.* A'nnur warned us that the freebooters 
intended to carry off the camels that we ourselves were riding 



* [Dr. Barth compares the Tuaricks (Taw&rek) of Gh&t and the Haghar 
to lions and tigers, and the Kailouees (Kel-owi) to snakes. — Richardson.'] 



ta'ghaji't. fl 

in the night, and it was fortunate that we had provided for 
the emergency, and were able to fasten them to strong iron 
rings. 

While keeping the first watch during the night, I was en- 
abled by the splendid moonlight to address a few lines in pencil 
to my friends at home. 

Thursday, August 22d. The Kel-owi having had some dif- 
ficulty in finding their camels, we did not move at an early 
hour. 

Leaving the pleasant valley of Gebi by a small opening 
bordered with large blocks of granite, while peaks of con- 
siderable elevation were seen towering over the nearer cliffs, 
we entered another large valley called Taghajit, but not quite 
so rich in vegetation, and encamped here in an open space a 
little after noon. The valley is important as being the first in 
the frontier region of Air or Asben where there is a fixed 
settlement — a small village of leathern tents, inhabited by 
people of the tribe of Fade-ang, who preserve a certain inde- 
pendence of the Kel-owi, while they acknowledge the supremacy 
of the Sultan of A'gades. 



CHAPTER Y. 



Alarm in the Camp — Order of Battle — Leave Taghajit — The party robbed 
by the Tawarek Freebooters — Mount Asben — The Europeans are 
offered the alternative of turning Muslims or of being put to death — 
But escape by submitting to afresh robbery — Selufiet — Encamp near 
Tintaghode — A terrible Freshet — Narrow escape of the whole party 
from being Drowned — Arrival of a new Escort — Arrival at Tintellust, 
the capital of Air or Asben — Cost of the Journey. 

We were tolerably composed, and reclining at our ease 
(though our weapons were always at hand), when we were a 
little alarmed by a demand of six riyals for the use of the pond 
in Jinninau. Our amiable but unenergetic friend A'nnur 
seconded the demand, by way of satisfying in some way the in- 



T2 ALARM IN THE CAMP. 

truders upon our caravan. These claims were scarcely settled 
when a dreadful alarm was raised by the report that a body of 
from fifty to sixty Mehara were about to attack us. 

Though no good authority could be named for this intelli- 
gence, the whole caravan was carried away by excitement, and 
all called out for powder and shot. Bdro Serki-n-turawa once 
more delivered eloquent speeches, and exhorted the people to 
be courageous ; but many of the Tiny'lkum, very naturally, 
had a great objection to come to open hostilities with the 
Tawarek, which might end in their being unable to travel any 
longer along this route. 

In this moment of extreme excitement Khweldi arrived, the 
chief merchant of Murzuk, whom we had not expected to see, 
though we knew that he was on his way from Sudan to the 
north. We were in a situation wherein he was able to render 
us the most material service, both by his influence upon the in- 
dividuals of whom our caravan was composed, and by his 
knowledge of the country whose frontier territories we had 
just entered. But unfortunately, though a very experienced 
merchant, he was not a practical, sharp-sighted man ; and in- 
stead of giving us clear information as to the probable amount 
of truth in the reports, and what sort of difficulties we might 
really have to encounter, and how, by paying a sort of passage- 
money to the chiefs, we might get over them, he denied in 
private the existence of any danger at all, while openly he went 
round the whole caravan extolling our importance as a mission 
sent by a powerful government, and encouraging the people to 
defend us if we should be in danger. In consequence of his 
exhortations the Tiny'lkum took courage, but had the impru- 
dence and absurdity to supply also the three intruders with 
powder and shot, who, though protesting to be now our most 
sincere friends, of course made no other use of the present than 
to supply their band with this material, which alone gave us a 
degree of superiority, and constituted our security. 

Any one accustomed to look closely at things could not be at 
all satisfied with the spirit of our caravan, notwithstanding its 
noise and waste of powder, and with its entire want of union ; 



ORDER OF BATTLE. ?3 

but the scene which followed in the bright moonlight evenin 



n> 



and lasted throughout the night, was animating and interesting 
in the extreme. The whole caravan was drawn up in a line 
of battle, the left wing being formed by ourselves and the de- 
tachment of the Kel-owi who had left their own camping- 
ground and posted themselves in front of our tent, while the 
Tiny'lkum and the Sfaksi formed the centre, and the rest of the 
Kel-owi, with Bdro, the right wing, leaning upon the cliffs, our 
exposed left being defended by the four pieces of the boat. 
About ten o'clock a small troop of Mehara appeared, when 
a heavy fusilade was kept up over their heads, and firing and 
shouting were continued the whole night. 

Our situation remained the same the whole of the following 
day ; and it became very tedious, as it prevented us from making 
excursions, and becoming acquainted with the features of the 
new country which we had entered. Another alarm having 
been raised in vain, the leaders of the expedition which was 
collected against us came out, with the promise that they would 
not further molest the caravan if the Christians were given up 
to them. This demand having been at once rejected, we were 
left in tolerable tranquillity for a while, as the freebooters now 
saw that, in order to attain their object, which was plunder, 
they should be obliged to bring really into the field the whole 
force they had so long boasted of. 

Khweldi paid us another visit in the afternoon ; and as he 
wanted to make us believe that there was really no danger in 
this country, so he did not fail to represent the state of things 
in Sudan as the most favorable we could have wished for. 

Saturday, August 24:th. We left at length our camping- 
ground in Taghajit, and soon passed Khweldi's encampment, 
which was just about to break up. 

Early in the afternoon we encamped in the valley Imenan, 
a little outside the line of herbage and trees, on an open spot 
at the southern foot of a low rocky eminence. But before sun- 
set our tranquillity was greatly disturbed by the appearance of 
five of our well-known marauding companions mounted on 
camels, and leading six others. They dismounted within less 
1 



74 FORMIDABLE THREATS. 

than a pistol-shot from our tents, and with wild, ferocious 
laughter were discussing their projects with the Azkar in our 
caravan. 

I could scarcely suppress a laugh when several of the Tiny'l- 
kum came and brought us the ironical assurance that there was 
now perfect security, and that we might indulge in sound sleep. 
Others came with the less agreeable but truer warning that we 
ought not to sleep that night. The greatest alarm and excite- 
ment soon spread through the caravan. Later in the evening, 
while our benevolent guests were devouring their supper, Mo- 
hammed el Tuusi called myself and Overweg aside, and informed 
us that we were threatened with great danger indeed, these 
Hogar, as he called them, having brought a letter from 
Nakhniikhen, authorizing them to collect people in the territory 
of the Kel-owi, and there to despatch us in such a way that 
not even a trace of us should be found, but not to touch us so 
long as we were within the confines of Azkar. 

I was convinced that this account, so far as it regarded 
Xakhnukken, was an absurd fiction of our persecutors, and I 
tried to persuade our servant to this effect. When he returned 
from us to the caravan a council of war was held, and a resolu- 
tion passed that, if a number of from twenty to thirty people 
came to attack us, they would undertake to defend us, but if 
we should be threatened by a more numerous host, they would 
try to make a compromise by yielding up a part of our goods. 
In consequence of this resolution, all possible warlike prepara- 
tions were made once more, and Boro delivered another speech ; 
but it seemed rather irreconcilable with such a state of things 
that while we, as well as the Tiny'lkum, brought all our camels 
close to our tents at an early hour, the Kel-owi left theirs out 
the whole night. Perhaps, being natives of the country, they 
did not expect that the freebooters would seize their animals. 

Be this as it may, great anxiety arose when, early in the 
morning, it was found that the camels were gone ; and when 
day broke, our guests of last night, who had stolen away before 
midnight, were seen riding down from the rocky ridge on the 
south, aud, with a commanding air, calling the principal men 



ROBBERY AND COMPROMISE. 75 

of the caravan to a council. Then followed the scenes which 
Mr. Richardson has so graphically described. 

[The following is Mr. Richardson's account of this affair — 

" The conferences were now fairly opened, and we found that 
the hostile troop was composed of a collection of all the Sheikhs 
of the neighboring districts, with their followers, and several 
regular bandits countenanced by a Shereef Marabout. Our 
people understood at once that the affair was far more serious 
than they had anticipated, and began to be downhearted. 
They knew that they could not proceed without their camels, 
and from their expression and looks, I could foresee that the 
matter at last would have to be ended by a compromise. 

" The enemy made various propositions more or less agree- 
able to our ears. The first was simply that we as infidels 
should be given up to be put to death — an idea which, luckily 
nobody seemed to consider proper or feasible. They then in- 
sisted that we should pass on no further, but should return by 
the way we had come — also declined. Next they demanded 
that we should become Muslims — a proposition which our 
people refused even to mention to us. Finally, they coolly 
asked for half our goods and baggage — no doubt their ulti- 
mate object. 

" When they found that we would not agree to any of their 
proposals, but were determined rather to resist by the strong 
hand, a compromise was agreed upon. We paid them in goods 
to the value of three hundred and fifty reals, or about fifty 
pounds sterling, in order to get back our camels and be allowed 
to proceed. Even then our caravan lost nine animals, so that 
the Kailowees suffer more even than we do. We were obliged 
to put up with all this, and were glad enough when the Shereef 
Marabout at length professed himself satisfied, and volunteered 
his protection for the future. 

"A wild and lawless set are these borderers of Aheer.* 
The gathering was evidently a spontaneous one of all the black- 
guards of the country."] 

["* All e'er, Dr. Barth calls Air or Asben.] 



16 agha'-batu're. 

At length all seemed to be settled. The whole host of the 
enemy, besides its rich booty, had been treated with an enor- 
mous quantity of mohamsa ; and we had repeatedly been as- 
sured that now we might be certain of reaching the chief A'n- 
nur's residence without any further disturbance, when the little 
A'nnur, a man of honest but mild character, came to beg us 
most earnestly to be on our guard, lest behind the rocks and 
ridges there might be some persons in ambush. At length we 
left this inhospitable place ; but we were far from being at 
ease, for it was clear that there was still a cloud on the horizon, 
which might easily gather to another storm. 

After a short march we encamped in a small valley without 
pitching our tents. The Merabet* who had accompanied and 
sanctioned the expedition against us was now in our company, 
and that was thought to be the best means of preventing any 
further molestation. This man, as I made out afterward, was 
no other than Ibrahim Agha-batiire (the son of Haj Beshir, a 
well-known and influential person settled in Ferwan, or Ifer- 
wan), who, in consequence of these proceedings, was afterward 
punished severely by the Sultan of A'gades. With Agln- 
batiire himself I met accidentally at a later period, in 1853, 
near Zinder, when he was greatly astonished to see me still 
alive, notwithstanding all the hardships I had gone through. 
Boro, who passed the evening with him in reading the Kuran, 
treated him hospitably — with Mr. Richardson's mohamsa. 

Monday, August 26th. After a march of three miles and a 
half, having ascended a little, we obtained a clear view of the 
great mountain mass which, lying between Tidik on the north 
and Tintagh-ode on the west, seems not to be marked with a 
collective proper name, although it is very often called by the 
people Mount Absen. 

But we were still at some distance from these picturesque 
mountains, and had to cross a very rugged and dreary waste, 
where, however, we caught sight of the first ostrich as yet 



* [Merabet. This name is written by Mr. Richardson, Marabout. The 
term is applied to a sort of priests. — Ed.] 



MYSTERIOUS MOVEMENTS 7T 

seen on our journey. We encamped at length in a shallow 
valley devoid of any interesting features. 

During the night, while I was on the first watch, walking 
round the encampment of the caravan, it struck me that at one 
end of it, beyond the Kel-owi, a small party was separately 
encamped. When I went there for the first time, all was quiet ; 
but-a little after eleven o'clock (for in general, on such a jour- 
ney, every one lies down at an early hour), hearing a noise on 
that side, I saw two armed Tawarek saddle their mehara and 
make off in the gloom of night. From this circumstance I 
concluded that something was still going on against us ; but 
as it appeared useless to make an alarm, I only took the pre- 
caution to put Overweg, who succeeded me on the watch, 
upon his guard. 

Tuesday, August 21th. We started at a very early hour, 
but fortunately the moonlight was so clear and beautiful that 
I was not interrupted for a moment in marking down all the 
features of the country, at least along our route, for our situa- 
tion was now too precarious to allow of our observing angles 
to fix the exact position of mountains lying at some distance 
from us. 

We were only about eight miles from Seliifiet, where we 
might expect to be tolerably safe ; and we had not the least 
doubt that we were to sleep there, when suddenly, before noon, 
our old Azkar madogu Awed el Kher turned off the road to 
the right, and chose the camping-ground at the border of a 
broad valley richly overgrown with herbage. As if moved by 
supernatural agency, and in ominous silence, the whole cara- 
van followed ; not a word was spoken. 

It was then evident that we were to pass through another 
ordeal, which, according to all appearance, would be of a 
more serious kind than that we had already undergone. How 
this plot was laid is rather mysterious, and it can be explained 
only by supposing that a diabolical conspiracy was entered 
into by the various individuals of our caravan. Some, cer- 
tainly, were in the secret ; but A'nnur, not less certainly, was 
sincere in our interest, and wished us to get through safely, 



78' IMPENDING DANGER. 

But the turbulent state of the country did not allow this weak, 
unenergetic man to attain his object. Black mail had been 
levied upon us by the frontier tribes ; here was another strong 
party to be satisfied, that of the Merabetin or Anislimen, who, 
enjoying great influence in the country, were in a certain de- 
gree opposed to the paramount authority of the old chief 
A'nnur in Tintellust ; and this man, who alone had power to 
check the turbulent spirit of these wild and lawless tribes, was 
laid up with sickness. In A'gades there was no sultan, and 
several parties still stood in opposition to each other, while by 
the great expedition against Welad Sliman, all the warlike 
passions of the people had been awakened, and their cupidity 
and greediness for booty and rapine excited to the utmost 
pitch. All these circumstances must be borne in mind in order 
to form a right view of the manner in which we were sacri- 
ficed. 

The whole affair had a very solemn appearance from the be- 
ginning, and it was apparent that this time there were really 
other motives in view besides that of robbing us. Some of 
our companions evidently thought that here, at such a distance 
from our homes and our brethren in faith, we might yield to a 
more serious attack upon our religion, and so far were sin- 
cerely interested in the success of the proceeding ; but whether 
they had any accurate idea of the fate that awaited us, whether 
we should retain our property and be allowed to proceed, I 
cannot say. But it is probable that the fanatics thought little 
of our future destiny ; and it is absurd to imagine that, if we 
had changed our religion as we would a suit of clothes, we 
should have thereby escaped absolute ruin. 

Our people, who well knew what was going on, desired us 
to pitch only a single tent for all three of us, and not to leave 
it, even though a great many people should collect about us. 
The excitement and anxiety of our friend A'nnur had reached 
the highest pitch, and Bdro was writing letter after letter. 
Though a great number of Merabetin had collected at an early 
hour, and a host of other people arrived before sunset, the 
storm did not break out ; but as soon as all the people of our 



THE PILLAGE. 79 

caravan, arranged in a long line close to our tent, under the 
guidance of the most respected of the Merabetin as Imam, had 
finished their Mughreb prayers, the calm was at an end, and 
the scene which followed was awful. 

Our own people were so firmly convinced that, as we stoutly 
refused to change our religion, though only for a day or two, 
we should immediately suffer death, that our servant Moham- 
med, as well as Mukni, requested us most urgently to testify, 
in writing, that they were innocent of our blood. Mr. Rich- 
ardson himself was far from being sure that the sheikhs did not 
mean exactly what they said. Our servants and the chiefs of 
the caravan had left us with the plain declaration that nothing 
less than certain death awaited us ; and we were sitting silently 
in the tent, with the inspiring consciousness of going to our 
fate in a manner worthy alike of our religion and of the nation 
in whose name we were travelling among these barbarous tribes, 
when Mr. Richardson interrupted the silence which prevailed 
with these words : " Let us talk a little. We must die ; what 
is the use of sitting so mute ?" For some minutes death 
seemed really to hover over our heads, but the awful moment 
passed by. We had been discussing Mr. Richardson's last 
propositions for an attempt to escape with our lives, when, as 
a forerunner of the official messenger, the benevolent and kind- 
hearted Sliman rushed into our tent, and with the most sincere 
sympathy stammered out the few words, "You are not to 
die." 

The amount of the spoil taken from us was regulated by the 
sum which we had paid to our Kel-owi escort, the party con- 
cerned presuming that they had just the same demands upon 
us as our companions. The principal, if not the only actors 
in this affair were the Merabetin ; and A'nnur, the chief of 
Tintellust, afterward stated to us that it was to them we had 
to attribute all our losses and mishaps. There was also just 
at this period a young sherif from Medina at Tin-tagh-ode, 
with whom we afterward came into intimate relations, and who 
confessed to us that he had contributed his part to excite the 
hatred of the people against the Christian intruders. Expe- 



80 selu'fiet. 

rienced travellers have very truly remarked that this sort of 
sherifs are at the bottom of every intrigue. To the honor of 
Bdro Serki-n-turawa, I have to state that he was ashamed of 
the whole affair, and tried to protect us to the best of his 
power, although in the beginning he had certainly done all that 
he could to bring us into difficulties. 

It was one of the defects of the expedition that our mer- 
chandise, instead of comprising a few valuable things, was, for 
the most part, composed of worthless bulky objects, and that 
it made all the people believe that we were carrying with us 
enormous wealth, while the whole value of our things scarcely 
amoiinted to two hundred pounds. We had, besides, about 
ten large iron cases filled with dry biscuit, but which all the 
ignorant people believed to be crammed with money. The 
consequence was, that the next morning, when all the claims 
had at length been settled, and we wanted to move on, there 
was still great danger that the rabble, which had not yet dis- 
persed, would fall upon the rest of our luggage ; and we were 
greatly obliged to the Sfaksi, who not only passed some of our 
luggage as his own, but also dashed to pieces one of the iron 
cases, when, to the astonishment of the simple people, instead 
of heaps of dollars, a dry and tasteless sort of bread came 
forth from the strong inclosure. 

Meanwhile, the persecuted Christians had made off, accom- 
panied by some of the Kel-owi, and at length the whole caravan 
collected together. The valley was here very beautiful ; and 
having crossed some smaller hollows, we reached the fine valley 
of Selufiet, rich in trees and bushes, but without herbage, while 
at the distance of less than a mile on our left the high peak of 
the Timge stood erect. 

The village of Selufiet itself, consisting of sixty or seventy 
grass huts of peculiar shape, lies on the southern side of a 
broad valley running here from east to west, and richly over- 
grown with gdrebas, abisgas, and talha-trees, but without any 
grass, for which the ground seems too elevated and stony. Our 
camping-ground also was of this bare character, and not at 



e'razar. 81 

all pleasing ; it was protected in the rear by large buttresses 
of rock. 

We had not yet enjoyed much tranquillity and security, and 
we here felt its want the more keenly, as, our camel-drivers 
having been hired only as far as this place, we had henceforth 
to take charge of all our things ourselves. A large mob of 
lawless people came about us in the course of the night, howl- 
ing like hungry jackals, and we were obliged to assure them, 
by frequent firing, that we were on the watch. We had been 
obliged to leave our camels to the care of the Kel-owi ; but 
the freebooters having succeeded in dispersing the camels in 
every direction, our friends were unable in the evening to col- 
lect either their own animals or ours, and in the night they 
were all driven away, as we were told, by the Merabetin them- 
selves, who so repeatedly assured us of their protection. 

In the letters which we sent to Europe during our next day's 
halt in this place, by a caravan of Arabs and Kel-owi, the 
largest part of which was already in advance, we were unable 
to give a perfectly satisfactory account of our progress ; never- 
thelesss, we had made a great step in advance, and were justi- 
fied in hoping that we should be able to overcome whatever 
difficulties might still await us, and the more so as we were now 
able to place ourselves in direct communication with the chief 
of Tintellust, from whom we might soon expect to receive an 
escort. 

Thursday, August 2dth. Some of the stolen camels having 
been recovered, though fifteen were still wanting, we were en- 
abled to move from this uncomfortable place the next day, 
leaving behind us, however, the boat and some other things, 
which were valueless to any but ourselves. 

August BOth. After marching along this valley for two miles, 
we encamped on an open space encircled with the green spread- 
ing bushes of the abisga, a little beyond Tin-tagh-od6, a vil- 
lage of the Merabetin or Anislimen. 

We remained in tolerable quiet and repose the whole day ; 
but it was reported that the next day, during which we should 
be obliged to stay here in order to wait for the restitution of 

F 



82 A JJESERT TORRENT. 

our camels, there would be a great concourse of Mehdra to 
celebrate a marriage in the village ; but, fortunately, the im- 
mense quantity of rain which fell in the whole of the neighbor- 
hood, and which, on the 1st of September, changed our valley 
into the broad bed of a rapid river, placing all our property in 
the utmost danger, prevented this design from being executed, 
and, while it seemed to portend to us a new misfortune, most 
probably saved us from a much greater mischief. 

Having just escaped from the dangers arising from the 
fanaticism and the rapacity of the people, it was a hard trial 
to have to contend again against an element the power of 
which, in these border regions of the desert, we had been far 
from appreciating and acknowledging. We had no antecedents 
from which to conclude the possibility that in this region a 
valley, more than half a mile wide, might be turned, in twenty- 
four hours, into a stream violent enough to carry away the 
heaviest things, not excepting even a strong, tall animal like 
the camel ; and it was with almost childish satisfaction that, 
in the afternoon of Saturday, we went to look at the stream, 
which was just beginning to roll its floods along. It was then 
a most pleasant and refreshing sight ; the next day it became 
a grand and awful picture of destruction, which gave us no 
faint idea, of a deluge. To the description of the flood itself, 
as it is given by Mr. Richardson,* I shall not add anything ; 

* [The folio-wing is Mr. Richardson's description above referred to. 

About four o'clock this afternoon, there "was a cry in the encampment 
— not that the Haghar were coming — not that another troop of robbers 
and "wild people -were advancing upon us to attack us ; but the cry was 
"El wadi jee!" " The wadi is coming!" Going out to look I saw a 
broad white sheet of foam advancing from the south between the trees 
of the valley. In ten minutes after, a river of water came pouring along, 
and spread all around us, converting the place of our encampment into 
an isle of the valley. The current in its deepest part was very power- 
ful, capable of carrying off sheep and cattle, and of uprooting trees. 
This is one of the most interesting phenomena I have witnessed during 
my present tour in Africa. The scene indeed was perfectly African. 
Rain had been observed falling in the south ; black clouds and darkness 
covered that zone of the heavens ; and an hour afterwards came pouring 
down the river of water into the dry parched-up valley. 



THREATENING TRIALS. 83 

but I have to mention the following circumstances, which seem 
not to have been placed in their true light. 

Half an hour after midday the waters began to subside, and 
ceased to endanger our little island, which, attacked on all 
sides by the destructive fury of an impetuous mountain torrent 
swollen to the dimensions of a considerable river, was fast 
crumbling to pieces, and scarcely afforded any longer space 
enough to hold our party and our things. Suddenly, on the 
western shore, a number of Mehara were seen, while, at the 
same time, the whole population of Tin-tagh-ode, in full battle 
array, came from the other side, and formed themselves in 
regular groups, partly round our hill, and partly opposite to 
the Tiny'lkum. While we looked with distrust on these pre- 
parations, most of our muskets having been wetted, the mis- 
chievous Mokhammed approached our hill, and, addressing 
me with a very significant and malevolent look, cried out, 
" Lots of people !" The previous afternoon, when I had re- 
quested him, while squatting himself insolently upon my carpet, 
to leave this only piece of comfort for my own use, he threat- 
ened me in plain terms, and in the coolest manner, that the 
following night I should lie on the bottom of the wadi, and he 
upon my carpet. Not put out by his malice, though I was 
rather doubtful as to the friendly intentions of all these people, 
I told him that the Mehara were our friends, sent by the chief 
A'nnur as an escort to conduct us safely to Tintellust. With 
a threatening gesture he told me I should be sadly disap- 
pointed, and went away. Fortunately, it turned out that the 
people mounted on camels were really A'nnur's escort ; but, 
at the same time, a large band of robbers had collected, in 
order to make a last effort to take possession of our property 
before we should obtain the protection of A'nnur, and only 
withdrew reluctantly when they saw that they should meet with 
a strong opposition. 

We were then justified in hoping that we had at length en- 
tered a harbor affording us a certain degree of security, and 
with thankful and gladdened hearts we looked forward to our 
further proceedings. Our present situation, however, was far 



84 ARRIVAL OF THE ESCORT. 

being comfortable : almost all our things were wet ; our tents 
were lying in the mud at the bottom of the stream ; and our 
comfortable and strong, but heavy Tripolitan tent was so 
soaked with water and earth that a camel could scarcely carry 
it. Leaving at length our ill-chosen camping-ground, Over- 
weg and I were passing the principal torrent (which was still 
very rapid), when the camels we rode, weakened by the dread- 
ful situation they had been in the whole day, were unable to 
keep their feet, and, slipping on the muddy bottom, set us 
down in the midst of the stream. Soaked and barefoot, 
having lost my shoes, I was glad to reach in the dark the new 
encampment which had been chosen on the elevated rocky 
ground a little beyond the border of the valley. Our beds 
were in the most cheerless condition, and in an unhealthy cli- 
mate would certainly have been productive of bad consequen- 
ces. Air, however, in every respect may be called the Switz- 
erland of the desert. 

Fortunately, the weather on the following morning cleared 
up, and, although the sun came forth only now and then, a 
fresh wind was very favorable for drying, and it was pleasant 
to see one thing after another resume a comfortable appear- 
ance. The whole encampment seemed to be one large drying- 
ground. 

Having recovered a little from the uncomfortable state in 
which we had passed the night, we went to pay a visit to the 
principal men of our new escort, who had seated themselves in 
a circle, spear in hand, with their leader Hamma (a son-in- 
law of the chief A'nnur) in the midst of them. Entire 
strangers as both parties were to each other, and after the many 
mishaps we had gone through, and the many false reports 
which must have reached these men about our character, the 
meeting could not fail to be somewhat cool. We expressed to 
the leader our sincere acknowledgment of the service which 
the chief A'nnur had rendered us, and begged him to name 
us to such of his companions as were related to the chief. On 
this occasion, Mohammed, the chief's cousin, who afterward 



VALLEY OF AFl's. 85 

became a great friend of mine, made himself remarkable by his 
pretensions and arrogance. 

Tuesday, September 3d. We made a very interesting march 
through a country marked with bold features, and showing it- 
self in more than one respect capable of being the abode of 
man. 

The country here became very mountainous, and the ascent 
steep, till we reached a valley called by some of the Kel-owi 
the upper course of the valley of Tin-tellust. Having reached 
the crest of the elevation, we began to descend, first gradually 
along smaller valleys, afterwards more steeply into a deep 
ravine, while in the distance toward the southwest, above the 
lower hills, a ridge of considerable elevation became visible. 
Gradually the ravine widened, and became clothed with fine 
herbage. Here, to our great disappointment, the little 
A'nnur, Didi, Farreji, and several of the Tiny'lkum (among 
them the intelligent and active Ibrahim) left us in order to 
reach their respective residences. 

Of course, A'nnur ought to have seen us safe to the chief's 
residence ; but, being without energy, he allowed our new com- 
panions, with whom we had not yet been able to become ac- 
quainted, to extort from us what they could, as the Fade-ang 
and the Anislimen had done before. Keeping along some 
smaller valleys, we reached, about noon, a considerable pond 
of rain-water, where I watered my thirsty camel. Almost all 
the smaller valleys through which we passed incline toward the 
west. 

Much against our wish, we encamped a little after three 
o'clock P. M. in a widening of the valley Affs, near the south- 
ern cliffs (which had a remarkably shattered appearance), there 
being a well at some little distance. We had scarcely encamped 
when a troublesome scene was enacted, in the attempt to satisfy 
our escort, the men not being yet acquainted with us, and 
making importunate demands. But there was more turmoil 
and disturbance than real harm in it ; and though half of the 
contents of a bale of mine were successfully carried off by the 
turbulent Mohammed, and a piece of scarlet cloth was cut into 



86 ARRIVAL AT TINTE'lLUST. 

numberless small shreds in the most wanton manner, yet there 
was not much to complain of, and it was satisfactory to see 
Hamma (A'nnur's son-in-law, and the chief of the escort) 
display the greatest energy in his endeavors to restore what was 
forcibly taken. 

Wednesday, September ith. We were glad when day dawned ; 
but with it came very heavy rain, which had been portended 
last night by thickly accumulated clouds and by lightning. 

Having waited till the rain seemed to have a little abated, 
we started at seven o'clock, in order to reach the residence of 
the powerful chief A'nnur, in whose hands now lay the whole 
success of the expedition. Though all that we had heard 
about him was calculated to inspire us with confidence in his 
personal character, yet we could not but feel a considerable 
degree of anxiety. 

Soon emerging from the valley of Afis, we ascended rocky 
ground, over which we plodded while the rain poured down 
upon us with renewed violence, till we reached another valley, 
and a little farther, on its northern side, the small village 
Sarara, or Asarara, divided into two groups, between which 
we passed. We then crossed low rocky ground intersected by 
many small beds of torrents descending from the mountains on 
our left, which rise to a considerable elevation. All these 
channels incline toward the south, and are thickly clothed with 
bushes. 

It was half past nine o'clock, the weather having now cleared 
up, when we entered the valley of Tintellust, forming a broad 
sandy channel, bare of herbage, and only lined with bushes 
along its border. On the low rocky projections on its eastern 
side lay a little village, scarcely discernible from the rocks 
around ; it was the long and anxiously looked-for residence of 
the chief E' Niir or A'nnnr. Our servants saluted it with a 
few rounds. Leaving the village on the eastern border of the 
sandy bed, we went a little farther to the south, keeping close 
to the low rocky projection on our right, at the foot of which 
was the little tebki or water-pond, and encamped on a sand- 
hill rising in a recess of the rocky offshoots, and adorned at its 



mount tuna'n. 87 

foot with the beautiful green and widely-spreading bushes of 
the Gapparis sodata, while behind was a charming little hollow 
with luxuriant talha-trees. Over the lower rocky ground rose 
Mount Tunan, while toward the south the majestic mountain- 
group of Biinday closed the view. 

Altogether it was a most beautiful camping-ground, where 
in ease and quiet we could establish our little residence, not 
troubled every moment by the intrusion of the townspeople ; 
but it was rather too retired a spot, and too far from our pro- 
tector, being at least eight hundred yards from the village, in 
a country of lawless people, not yet accustomed to see among 
them men of another creed, of another complexion, and of 
totally different usages and manners. 

This spot being once selected, the tents were soon pitched ; 
and, in a short time, on the summit of the sand-hill, there rose 
the little encampment of the English expedition, consisting of 
four tents forming a sort of semicircle, opening toward the 
south, the point to which all our arduous efforts were directed 
— Mr. Richardson's tent toward the west, Overweg's and mine 
adjoining it toward the east, and each flanked by a smaller 
tent for the servants. Doubtless this sand-hill will ever be 
memorable in the annals of the Asbenawa as the "English 
Hill," or the " Hill of the Christians."* 

* [Mr. Richardson, the leader of the expedition, seems to have been 
especially annoyed at the extortions, or rather robberies of the Tawarek 
during this part of the journey. He says, " The passage of the expedition 
from Tajetterat to Tintalous (Tintellust) has cost the government £250 
sterling, i" cannot get over this."] 



88 VISIT TO CHIEF A'NNUR. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Visit to the great chief A'nnur — His Character — Rain — Mr. Richardson's 
tent Robbed — 'Abd-el-Kader — Provisions — Dr. Barth sets out for 
A'gades, leaving Mr. Richardson and Dr. Overweg at Tintellust — His 
unlucky attempt to ride a Bullock — His Arrival at A'gades. 

We saw the old chief on the day following our arrival. He 
received us in a straightforward and kindly manner, observing 
very simply that even if, as Christians, we had come to his 
country stained with guilt, the many dangers and difficulties we 
had gone through would have sufficed to wash us clean, and 
that we had nothing now to fear but the climate and the 
thieves. The presents which were spread out before him he 
received graciously, but without saying a single word. Of hos- 
pitality he showed no sign. All this was characteristic. 

We soon received further explanations. Some days after- 
ward he sent us the simple and unmistakable message that, if 
we wished to proceed to Sudan at our own risk, we might go 
in company with the caravan, and he would place no obstacle 
in our way ; but if we wanted him to go with us and to pro- 
tect us, we ought to pay him a considerable sum. In stating 
these plain terms, he made use of a very expressive simile, 
saying that as the leffa (or snake) killed everything that she 
touched, so his word, when it had once escaped his lips, had 
terminated the matter in question ; there was nothing more to 
be said. I do not think this such an instance of shameful ex- 
tortion as Mr. Richardson represents it, considering how much 
we gave to others who did nothing for their pay, and how much 
trouble we caused A'nnur. On the contrary, having observed 
A'nnur's dealings to the very last, and having arrived under 
his protection safely at Katsena, I must pronounce him a 
straightforward and trustworthy man, who stated his terms 



THE RAINY SEASON. 89 

plainly and dryly, but stuck to them with scrupulosity ; and as 
he did not treat us, neither did he ask anything from us, nor 
allow his people to do so. I shall never forgive him for his 
niggardliness in not offering me so much as a drink of fura or 
ghussub-water when I visited him, in the heat of the day, on 
his little estate near Tasawa ; but I cannot withhold from him 
my esteem both as a great politician in his curious little em- 
pire, and as a man remarkable for singleness of word and 
purpose. 

Having come into the country as hated intruders, pursued 
by all classes of people, we could not expect to be received by 
him otherwise than coldly ; but his manner changed entirely 
when I was about to set out for A'gades, in order to obtain the 
good-will of the sultan of the country. He came to our en- 
campment to see me off, and from that day forth did not omit 
to visit us every day, and to maintain the most familiar inter- 
course with us. So it was with all the people ; and I formed 
so many friendships with them that the turbulent Mohammed, 
A'nnur's cousin, used often to point to them as a proof how 
impossible it was that he could have been the instigator of the 
misdeeds perpetrated on the night preceding our arrival in 
Tintellust, when we were treated with violence and our luggage 
was rifled. Still we had, of course, many disagreeable expe- 
riences to make before we became naturalized in this new 
country. 

It was the rainy season ; and the rain, setting in almost 
daily, caused us as much interest and delight (being a certain 
proof that we had reached the new regions after which we had 
so long been hankering) as served to counterbalance the trouble 
which it occasioned. Sometimes it fell very heavily, and, com- 
ing on always with a dreadful storm, was very difficult to be 
kept out from the tent, so that our things often got wet. The 
heaviest rain we had was on the 9th of September, when an 
immense torrent was formed, not only in the chief valley, but 
even in the small ravine behind our encampment. Yet we 
liked the rain much better than the sand-storm. In a few days 
nature all around assumed so fresh and luxuriant a character, 
8* 



90 THE CLIMATE. 

that, so long as we were left in repose, we felt cheered to the 
utmost, and enjoyed our pleasant encampment, which was sur- 
rounded by masses of granite blocks, wide-spreading bushes of 
the abisga, and large, luxuriant talha-trees, in wild and most 
picturesque confusion. It was very pleasant and interesting 
to observe every day the rapid growth of the little fresh leaves 
and young offshoots, and the spreading of the shady foliage. 

Monkeys now and then descended into the little hollow be- 
yond our tents to obtain a draught of water, and numbers of 
jackals were heard every night roving about us, while the trees 
swarmed with beautiful ring-doves and hoopoes, and other 
smaller birds. The climate of Air has been celebrated from 
the time of Leo, on account "della bonta e temperanza dell' 
aere." But, unfortunately, our little English suburb proved 
too distant from the protecting arm of the old chief; and 
after the unfortunate attack in the night of the l?th of Sep- 
tember, which, if made with vigor, would inevitably have 
ended in our destruction, we were obliged to move our en- 
campment, and, crossing the broad valley, pitch it in the plain 
near the village. 

But the circumstances connected with this attack were so 
curious that I must relate them in a few words. The rain, 
which had wetted all our things, and made us anxious about 
our instruments and arms, seemed to abate ; and Overweg and 
I decided, the very day preceding the attack in question, on 
cleaning our guns and pistols, which had been loaded for some 
time ; and having cleaned them, and wishing to dry them well, 
we did not load them again immediately. In the afternoon we 
had a visit from two well-dressed men, mounted on a mehara ; 
they did not beg for anything, but inspected the tents very 
attentively, making the remark that our tent was as strong as 
a house, while Mr. Richardson's was light and open at the 
bottom. 

The moon shed a splendid light over the interesting wilder- 
ness ; and our black servants being uncommonly cheerful and 
gay that night, music and dancing were going on in the village, 
and they continued playing till a very late hour, when they fell 



ANOTHER ATTACK. 91 

asleep. Going the round of our encampment before I went to 
lie down, I observed at a little distance a strange camel, or 
rather meheri, kneeling quietly down with its head toward our 
tents. I called my colleagues, and expressed my suspicion 
that all was not right ; but our light-hearted and frivolous ser- 
vant Mohammed calmed my uneasiness by pretending that he 
had seen the camel there before, though that was not true. 
Still I had some sad foreboding, and, directing my attention 
unluckily to the wrong point, caused our sheep to be tied close 
to our tent. 

Being uneasy, I did not sleep soundly ; and a little after two 
o'clock I thought I heard a very strange noise, just as if a 
troop of people were marching with a steady step round our 
tents, and muttering in a jarring voice. Listening anxiously 
for a moment, I felt sure that there were people near the tent, 
and was about to rush out ; but again, on hearing the sound 
of music proceeding from the village, I persuaded myself that 
the noise came from thence, and lay down to slumber, when 
suddenly I heard a louder noise, as if several men were rush- 
ing up the hill, and, grasping a sword and calling aloud for 
our people, I jumped out of the tent ; but there was nobody 
to be seen. Going then round the hill to Mr. Richardson's 
tent, I met him coming out half dressed, and begging me to 
pursue the robbers, who had carried away some of his things. 
Some of his boxes were dragged out of the tent, but not emp- 
tied : none of his servants were to be seen except S'aid, all 
the rest having run away without giving an alarm, so that all 
of us might have been murdered. 

[The following is Mr. Richardson's account of this night 
attack of the robbers : 

" I was again restless when night came on, and was still 
awake when the moon was near setting, about three A. M., 
under tent, at which time suddenly I heard the wife of S'aid 
squall, with the sound of the trampling of feet around my tent. 
I conjectured immediately what was up. 'Another attack !' I 
repeated mechanically to myself, and getting up, began to 
dress myself. At first I thought our assailants were at some 



92 MR. RICHARDSON'S ACCOUNT. 

distance off; but when the boxes began to be drawn from 
around my tent, I exclaimed, ' Oh, oh, they are upon me, and 
are carrying off the things.' Still, I had become so accus- 
tomed to these attacks, or attempted attacks, by night and by 
day, that I felt quite indifferent, and began to dress myself as 
if nothing was the matter, or simply as if some one had called 
me up suddenly to breakfast, or that we were to start off early 
on our way. 

" I found my clothes, however, with some difficulty, and tore 
them a little in putting them on. At last I went out. All our 
people were up, as well as the Germans. On inquiring the 
news, I learned that a band of robbers had attacked us ; from 
six to ten had been counted. My servants had all decamped 
with the exception of S'aid. Some of them had been struck 
by the robbers, and others had been threatened, and had ran 
away. My servant S'aid, as soon as he sallied out and saw 
what was going on, seized his matchlock and pointed it at the 
assailants, especially those who were removing the saharees 
(large square boxes). Upon this they began to quake, and, 
parleying with S'aid, begged for mercy, and said they would 
go immediately if the powder was not used against them. S'aid 
took them at their word, and they ran off. They had already, 
however, carried away about nine pounds of tea, packed in tin 
boxes. It is probable they mistook these boxes of tin for 
silver, or considered their contents to be money, gold, and 
silver, although their lightness should have undeceived them. 
As the Arabic Bibles and Testaments were packed up with the 
tea, they carried off a Bible with them. But this they after- 
wards dropped on the road, and it was picked up by a shep- 
herdess and brought to me. They also took away a pewter 
dish, and two bags of ground ghaseb, besides ripping open 
the bags of the blacks. This appears to be the amount of the 
robbery and devastation. Very fortunate are we it was not 
worse. We had watched many nights, and had often loaded 
our guns ; but this night, when the thieves came, we were mise- 
rably unprepared to receive them. The Germans had been 
cleaning their guns, and all were unloaded. Over weg had his 



ASSURANCES OF PROTECTION. 95 

fowling-piece charged with small shot. At length we got two 
or three guns in trim, and our servants followed the robbers ; 
but nothing of them was to be seen. The cowards had fled 
at the first show of resistance. In the morning, on searching 
• through the small valley up which they had come, we were sur- 
prised to find marks of no less than thirteen camels — • enough 
to carry away all our goods. So that it is probable there 
were some thirteen robbers, a part of whom remained with the 
camels whilst the others attacked us. Amankee, on being 
knocked down with a shield, got up again and ran off to the 
town, giving the alarm everywhere. "] 

But immediately after this accident, proceeds Dr. Barth, we 
received the distinct assurance of protection both from the 
Sultan of A'gades and from the great m'allem Azori ; and I 
began to plan my excursion to A'gades more definitely, and 
entered into communication with the chief on this point. 
Meanwhile I collected a great deal of information about the 
country, partly from a Tawati of the name of 'Abd el Kader 
(not the same who accompanied us on the road from Ghat), 
and partly from some of the Tiny'lkum, who, having left us 
the day after our arrival in Tintellust, had dispersed all over 
the country, some pasturing their camels in the most favored 
localities, others engaged in little trading speculations, and 
paying us a visit every now and then. Small caravans came 
and went, and among them one from Sudan, with its goods 
laden almost entirely on pack-oxen — a most cheerful sight, 
filling our hearts with the utmost delight, as we were sure that 
we had now passed those dreary deserts where nothing but the 
persevering and abstemious camel can enable man to maintain 
communications. 

At length, then, we were enabled to write to government, 
and to our friends in Europe, assuring them that we had now 
overcome, apparently, most of the difficulties which appeared 
likely to oppose our progress, and that we felt justified in be- 
lieving that we had now fairly entered upon the road which 
would lead directly to the attainment of the objects of the 
expedition. 



96 WANT OP PROPER FOOD. 

With regard to our provisions, Overweg and I were at first 
rather ill off, while Mr. Richardson, although he had been 
obliged to supply food on the road to troops both of friends 
and foes, had still a small remnant of the considerable stores 
which he had laid in at Miirzuk. We had been led to expect 
that we should find no difficulty in procuring all necessaries, 
and even a few luxuries, in A'sben (and carriage was so dear 
that we were obliged to rely upon these promises) ; but we 
were now sadly disappointed. After a few days, however, the 
inhabitants being informed that we were in want of provisions, 
and were ready to buy, brought us small quantities of Guinea- 
corn, butter — the botta (or box made of rough hide, in the 
way common over almost the whole of Central Africa) for two 
or two and a half mithkals — and even a little fresh cheese ; we 
were also able to buy two or three goats, and by sending Ibra- 
him, who had now recovered from his Guinea-worm, to A'sodi, 
where provisions are always stored up in small quantities, we 
obtained a tolerable camel-load of durra or sorghum. 

But I could not relish this grain at all, and as I was not 
able to introduce any variety into my diet, I suffered much ; 
hence it was fortunate for me that I went to A'gades, where 
my food was more varied, and my health consequently im- 
proved. I afterward became accustomed to the various pre- 
parations of sorghum and Pennisetum, particularly the asida 
or tiivo, and found that no other food is so well adapted for a 
hot climate ; but it requires a good deal of labor to prepare 
it well, and this, of course, is a difficult matter for a European 
traveller, who has no female slave or partner to look after his 
meals. Our food during our stay in A'sben was so ill pre- 
pared (being generally quite bitter, owing to the husk not 
being perfectly separated from the grain) that no native of the 
country would taste it. 

Meanwhile, my negotiation with the chief with regard to my 
going to A'gades, which I managed as silently and secretly as 
possible, went on prosperously, and on the 30th of September 
I took my leave of him, having with me on the occasion a pre- 
sent for himself, worth about eighty riyals, or eleven pounds 



UNASKED COUNSEL. 97 

sterling, and the presents intended for the Sultan of A'gades, 
in order that he might see what they were and express his 
opinion upon them ; and I was greatly pleased to find that he 
was satisfied with both. He promised me perfect safety, al- 
though the undertaking looked a little dangerous, and had a 
letter written to 'Abd el Kader (or, in the popular form, Kadiri 
— this was the name of the new sultan), wherein he recom- 
mended me to him in the strongest terms, and enumerated the 
presents I meant to offer to him. 

But as soon as my intention transpired, all the people, un- 
invited as well as invited, hastened to give me their best 
advice, and to dissuade me from embarking in an undertaking 
which would certainly be my ruin. Conspicuous among these 
motley counsellors was a son of Haj 'Abdiiwa, the presump- 
tive heir of A'nnur, who conjured me to abandon my design. 
These people, indeed, succeeded in frightening Yusuf Makni, 
Mr. Richardson's interpreter, whom the latter wished to send 
with me ; but as for myself, I knew what I was about, and had 
full confidence in the old chief's promise, and was rather glad 
to get rid of Makni, whom I well knew to be a clever, but no 
less malicious and intriguing person. With difficulty I per- 
suaded Mohammed, our Tunisian shushan, to accompany me ; 
and I also succeeded in hiring Amankay, Mr. Richardson's 
active black Biizu servant, who, however, on this trip proved 
utterly useless, as we had no sooner set out than he began to 
suffer from his old complaint of Guinea-worm, and was the 
whole time too lame for service. 

I then arranged with Hamma, A'nnur's son-in-law, under 
whose especial protection I was to undertake my journey, but 
whom I had to pay separately. I gave him the value of eleven 
mithkals, or about one pound sterling, for himself, and hired 
from him two camels, each for six mithkals. After various 
delays, which, however, enabled me to send off two more 
of my journals, together with letters, to Miirzuk, by the 
hand of a half-caste Kel-owi of the name of Bawa Amakita, 
our departure was definitively fixed for the 4th of October. 

Friday, October Uh. At length the day arrived when I was 
9 G 



y» DEPARTURE FOR A'GADES. 

to set out on my long-wished-for excursion to A'gades ; for al- 
though at that time I was not aware of the whole extent of in- 
terest attaching to that place, it had nevertheless been to me a 
point of the strongest attraction. For what can be more in- 
teresting than a considerable town, said to have been once as 
large as Tunis, situated in the midst of lawless tribes, on the 
border of the desert and of the fertile tracts of an almost un- 
known continent, established there from ancient times, and pro- 
tected as a place of rendezvous and commerce between nations 
of the most different character, and having the most various 
wants ? It is by mere accident that this town has not attracted 
as much interest in Europe as her sister town Timbuktu, 

It was a fine morning, with a healthy and refreshing light 
breeze, invigorating both body and mind. The old chief, who 
had never before visited our encampment, now came out to 
pay us his compliments, assuring me once more that "my 
safety rested upon his head. " But his heart was so gladdened 
at witnessing our efforts to befriend the other great men of his 
country that his habitual niggardliness was overcome, and with 
graceful hospitality he resigned one of his bullocks to our 
party. 

The little caravan I was to accompany consisted of six 
camels, five-and-thirty asses, and two bullocks, one of which 
was allotted to me, till my protector Hamma should be able to 
hire a camel for me. But, although well accustomed to ride 
on horseback as well as on a camel, I had never yet in my life 
tried to sit astride on the broad back of a bullock ; and the 
affair was the more difficult as there was no saddle, nor any- 
thing to sit upon, except parcels of luggage not very tightly 
fastened to the animal's back, and swinging from one side to 
the other. 

After the first bullock had been rejected as quite unfit, in 
its wild, intractable mood, to carry me, or indeed anything 
else, and when it had been allowed to return to the herd, the 
second was at length secured, the luggage fastened somehow 
on his back, and I was bid to mount. I must truly confess 
that I should have been better pleased with a horse, or even 



EGHELLTj'WA. 99 

an ass ; but still, hoping to manage matters, I took my seat, 
and, bidding my fellow-travellers farewell, followed my black 
companions up the broad valley by which we had come from 
the north. But we soon left it and ascended the rocky ground, 
getting an interesting view of the broad and massive Mount 
Eghellal before us. 

Having at first thought my seat rather too insecure for 
making observations, I grew by degrees a little more confi- 
dent, and, taking out my compass, noted the direction of the 
road, when suddenly the baggage threatened to fall over to the 
right, whereupon I threw the whole weight of my body to the 
left, in order to keep the balance ; but I unluckily overdid it, 
and so all at once down I came, with the whole baggage. The 
ground was rocky ; and I should inevitably have been hurt 
not a little if I had not fallen upon the muzzle of my musket, 
which I was carrying on my shoulder, and which, being very 
strong, sustained the shock, and kept my head from the ground. 
Even my compass, which I had open in my left hand, most for- 
tunately escaped uninjured ; and I felt extremely glad that I 
had fallen so adroitly, but vowed never again to mount a 
bullock. 

I preferred marching on foot till we reached the valley Eg- 
helliiwa, where plenty of water is found in several wells. Here 
we halted a moment, and I mounted behind Hamma, on 
the lean back of his camel, holding on by his saddle; but I 
could not much enjoy my seat, as I was greatly annoyed by his 
gun sticking out on the right, and at every moment menacing 
my face. I was therefore much pleased when we reached the 
little village of Tiggereresa, lying on the border of a broad 
valley well clothed with talha-trees, and a little further on en- 
camped in a pleasant recess formed by projecting masses of 
granite blocks ; for here I was told we should surely find 
camels, and, in fact, Hamma hired two for me, for four mith- 
kals each, to go to and return from A'gades. Here we also 
changed our companions, the very intelligent Mohammed, a 
son of one of A'nnur's sisters, returning to Tintellust, while 
the turbulent Mohammed, our friend from Afi's, came to attend 



100 tawa'rek blacksmiths. 

us, and with him Hammeda, a cheerful and amiable old man, 
who was a fair specimen of the improvement derivable from 
the mixture of different blood and of different national quali- 
ties ; for, while he possessed all the cheerfulness and vivacity 
of the Gdber nation, his demeanor was nevertheless moderated 
by the soberness and gravity peculiar to the Berber race ; and 
though, while always busy, he was not effectively industrious, 
yet his character approached very closely to the European 
standard. 

He was by trade a blacksmith, a more comprehensive pro- 
fession in these countries than in Europe, although in general 
these famous blacksmiths have neither iron nor tools to work 
with. All over the Tawarek country the " enhad " (smith) is 
much respected, and the confraternity is most numerous. An 
" enhad " is generally the prime minister of every little chief. 
The Arabs in Timbuktu call these blacksmiths "m'allemj" 
which may give an idea of their rank and respected character. 
Then there is also the "m'allema," the constant female com- 
panion of the chief's wife, expert above all in beautiful leather 
works. 

In order to avoid, as much as possible, attracting the atten- 
tion of the natives, I had taken no tent with me, and sheltered 
myself at night under the projecting roof of the granite blocks, 
my Kel-owi friends sleeping around me. 

Saturday, October bth. Hamma was so good as to give up 
to me his fine tall meheri, while he placed his simple little 
saddle or "kiri" on the back of the young and ill-trained 
camel hired here, a proceeding which in the course of our jour- 
ney almost cost him his ribs. In truth, I had no saddle ; yet 
my seat was arranged comfortably by placing first two leathern 
bags filled with soft articles across the back of the camel, and 
then fastening two others over them lengthwise, and spreading 
my carpet over all. Even for carrying their salt, the Kel-owi 
very rarely employ saddles, or if they do, only of the lightest 
description, made of straw, which have nothing in common 
with the heavy and hot "hawiya " of the Arabs. 



a'gades. 101 

[The journey to A'gades was not attended with any remark- 
able incident, and occupied only four days longer.] 

Wednesday, October dth. We encamped at an early hour in 
the afternoon near a water-course, but did not succeed in ob- 
taining water by digging, so that we could not even cook a 
little supper. Farther down the valley there had been a 
copious supply of water, and we had passed there a numerous 
caravan of asses near a large pool ; but my companions, who 
were extremely negligent in this respect, would not then lay in 
a supply. Several Tawarek, or rather Imdshagh and Imghad, 
encamped around us for the night, and thus showed that we 
were approaching a centre of intercourse. 

Owing to our want of water, we started at a very early hour, 
and, ascending gradually, after a little more than three miles, 
reached the height of the pebbly plateau on which the town of 
A'gades has been built. After having received several ac- 
counts of this naked " hammada" or "tenere" stretching out 
to the distance of several days, I was agreeably surprised to 
find that it was by no means so dreary and monotonous as I 
had been led to expect, forming now and then shallow depres- 
sions a few feet only lower than the pebbly surface, and some- 
times extending to a considerable distance, where plenty of 
herbage and middle-sized acacia were growing. The road 
was now becoming frequented ; and my companions, with a 
certain feeling of pride, showed me in the distance the high 
" MesHlaje," or minaret, the glory of A'gades. Having ob- 
tained a supply of water, and quenched our thirst, to my great 
astonishment we proceeded to encamp at half past seven in 
the morning in one of these shallow hollows ; and I learned 
that we were to stay here the whole day till near sunset, in 
order to enter the town* in the dark. 

We were here met by two horsemen from A'gades (the son 
of the kiidhi and a companion), who, I suppose, had come out 
on purpose to see us. They had a very chevaleresque look, 
and proved highly interesting to me, as they were the first 
horsemen I had seen in the country. The son of the kadhi, 
who was a fine, tall man, was well dressed in a tobe and trow- 
9* 



102 a'gades. 

sers of silk and cotton ; he carried only an iron spear besides 
his sword and dagger, but no shield. But, for me, the most 
interesting part of their attire was their stirrups, which are 
almost European in shape, but made of copper. Of this metal 
were made also the ornaments on the harness of their horses ; 
their saddles also were very unlike what I had yet seen in these 
countries, and nearly the same as the old Arab saddle, which 
differs little from the English. 

While encamped here I bought from Hamma a black Sudan 
tobe, which, worn over another very large white tobe or shirt, 
and covered with a white bernus, gave me an appearance more 
suited to the country, while the stains of indigo soon made my 
complexion a few shades darker. This exterior accommoda- 
tion to the custom of the natives my friend Hamma repre- 
sented as essential for securing the success of my undertaking:: 
and it had, besides, the advantage that it gave rise to the 
rumor that the Sultan of A'gades himself had presented me 
with this dress. 

At length, when the sun was almost down, and when it was 
known that the Kel-geres and Itisan (who had come to A'gades 
in very great numbers, in order to proceed on their journey to 
Bilma after the investiture of the new sultan) had retreated 
from their encampments at some distance from the town, we 
started, and were soon met by several people, who came to 
pay their compliments to my companions. On entering the 
' town, we passed through a half-deserted quarter, and at length 
reached the house of A'nnur, where we were to take up our 
abode. But arriving in a new place at night is never very 
pleasant, and must be still less so where there are no lamps ; 
it therefore took us some time to make ourselves tolerably com- 
fortable. But I was fortunate in receiving hospitable treat- 
ment from our travelling companion 'Abd el Kader, who, 
being lodged in a chamber close to mine, sent me a well-pre- 
pared dish of kuskusu, made of Indian-corn. I could not 
relish the rice sent by one of A'nnur's wives, who resides here, 
owing to its not being seasoned with any salt, a practice to 
which I became afterward more accustomed, but which rather 



THE TAWA'Tl'YE. 103 

astonished me in a country the entire trade of which consists 
in salt. 

Having spread my mat and carpet on the floor, I slept well, 
in the pleasing consciousness of having successfully reached 
this first object of my desires, and dreaming of the new sphere 
of inquiry on which I had entered. 



CHAPTER VII. 



Dr. Barth in A'gades. — 'Abdallah — Visit to the Sultan of A'gades — 
Gracious reception — Visit to Mohammed Boro — Markets of A'gades — 
Dr. Barth goes to see a national dance ; is pursued to his quarters by- 
armed Natives, and has a narrow escape from Death — Great Festival 
and Installation of the Sultan — Divan — Warlike expedition projected — 
Salt Caravan — Expedition resolved on — Visit of Mohammed Boro and 
Belraji— Fight in Dr. Barth's room — Dr. Barth takes leave of the 
Sultan, who gives him letters to other Chiefs — Account of the Expe- 
dition of the Sultan of A'gades. — Dr. Barth is visited by some ladies — 
Bemarks on African morals — Conversation with Mohammed Omar on 
Religion — Hamma gets ready for a start — Prices of goods in A'gades. 

Early in the morning, the whole body of the people from 
Tawat, who were residing in the place, 'Abd el Kader at their 
head, paid me a visit. The Tawatiye are still, at the present 
time (like their forefathers more than 300 years ago), the chief 
merchants in A'gades ; and they are well adapted to the nature 
of this market, for, having but small means, and being more 
like peddlers or retail dealers, they sit quietly down with their 
little stock, and try to make the most of it by buying Negro 
millet when it is cheap, and retailing it when it becomes dear. 
Speculation in grain is now the principal business transacted 
in A'gades. 

Several of these Tawatiye were about to return to their 
native country, and were anxiously seeking information as to 
the time when the caravan of the Sakomaren, which had come 
to Tintellust, intended to start on their return-journey, as they 



104 VISIT TO THE SULTAN. 

wished to go in their company. Among them was a man of 
the name of 'Abdallah, with whom I became afterward very 
intimate, and obtained from him a great deal of information. 
He was well acquainted with that quarter of the African con- 
tinent which lies between Tawat, Timbuktu, and A'gades, 
having been six times to A'gades and five times to Timbuktu, 
and was less exacting than the mass of his countrymen. The 
most interesting circumstance which I learned from them to- 
day was the identity of the Emgedesi language with that of 
Timbuktu — a fact of which I had no previous idea, thinking 
that the Hausa language, as it was the vulgar tongue of the 
whole of A'sben, was the indigenous language of the natives 
of A'gades. 

"When the Tawatiye were about to go away, A'magay, or 
Maggi, as he is generally called, the chief eunuch of the sultan, 
came, and I was ordered by my Kel-owi companions, who had 
put on all their finery, to make myself ready to pay a visit to 
the sultan. Throwing, therefore, my white helali bernus over 
my black tobe, and putting on my richly-ornamented Gha- 
damsi shoes, which formed my greatest finery, I took up the 
letters and the treaty, and solicited the aid of my servant Mo- 
hammed to assist me in getting it signed ; but he refused to 
perform any such service, regarding it as a very gracious act 
on his part that he went with me at all. 

The streets and the market-places were still empty when we 
went through them, which left upon me the impression of a 
deserted place of by-gone times ; for even in the most import- 
ant and central quarters of the town most of the dwelling- 
houses were in ruins. Some meat was lying ready for sale, and 
a bullock was tied to a stake, while numbers of large vultures, 
distinguished by their long naked neck of reddish color and 
their dirty-grayish plumage, were sitting on the pinnacles of 
the crumbling walls, ready to pounce upon any kind of offal. 
These natural scavengers I afterward found to be the constant 
inhabitants of all the market-places, not only in this town, but 
in all the places in the interior. Directing our steps by the 
high watch-tower, which, although built only of clay and wood, 



THE sultan's quarters. 105 

yet, on account of its contrast to the low dwelling-houses 
around, forms a conspicuous object, we reached the gate which 
leads into the palace or fada, a small separate quarter with a 
large, irregular court-yard, and from twenty to twenty-five 
larger and smaller dwellings. Even these were partly in ruins, 
and one or two wretched conical cottages, built of reeds and 
grass in the midst of them, showed anything but a regard to 
cleanliness. The house, however, in which the sultan himself 
dwelt, proved to have been recently repaired, and had a neat 
and orderly appearance ; the wall was nicely polished, and the 
gate newly covered in with boards made of the stem of the 
diim-tree, and furnished with a door of the same material. 

We seated ourselves apart, on the right side of the vestibule, 
which, as is the case in all the houses of this place, is separated 
from the rest of the room by a low balustrade about ten inches 
high. Meanwhile Maggi had announced us to his majesty, 
and, coming back, conducted us into the adjoining room, where 
he had taken his seat. It was separated from the vestibule by 
a very heavy wooden door, and was far more decent than I had 
expected. It was about forty or fifty feet in every direction, 
the rather low roof being supported by two short and massive 
columns of clay, slightly decreasing in thickness toward the 
top, and furnished with a simple abacus, over which one layer 
of large boards was placed in the breadth and two in the depth 
of the room, sustaining the roof formed of lighter boards. 
These are covered in with branches, over which mats are spread, 
the whole being completed with a layer of clay. At the lower 
end of the room, between the two columns, was a heavy door 
giving access into the interior of the house, while a large 
opening on either side admitted the light. 

Abd el Kaderi, the son of the Sultan El Bakeri, was seated 
between the column to the right and the wall, and appeared to 
be a tolerably stout man, with large, benevolent features, as far 
as the white shawl wound around his face would allow us to 
perceive. The white color of the litham, and that of his shirt, 
which was of gray hue, together with his physiognomy, at once 
announced him as not belonging to the Tawarek race. Having 



106 INTERVIEW WITH THE CHIEF. 

saluted him one after another, we took our seats at some dis- 
tance opposite to him, when, after having asked Hamma some 
complimentary questions with regard to the old chief, he called 
me to come near to him, and in a very kind manner entered 
into conversation with me, asking me about the English nation, 
of, which, notwithstanding all their power, he had, in his 
retired spot, never before heard, not suspecting that "English 
powder" was derived from them. 

After explaining to him how the English, although placed 
at such an immense distance, wished to enter into friendly 
relations with all the chiefs and great men on the earth, in 
order to establish peaceable and legitimate intercourse with 
them, I delivered to him A'nnur's aud Mr. Richardson's 
letters, and begged him to forward another letter to 'Aliyu, 
the Sultan of Sdkoto, wherein we apologized for our incapa- 
bility, after the heavy losses and the many extortions we had 
suffered, of paying him at present a visit in his capital, ex- 
pressing to 'Abd el Kader, at the same time, how unjustly we 
had been treated by tribes subject to his dominion, who had 
deprived us of nearly all the presents we were bringing with us 
for himself and the other princes of Sudan. While expressing 
his indignation on this account, and regretting that I should 
not be able to go on directly to Sokoto, whither he would have 
sent me with the greatest safety in company with the salt- 
caravan of the Kel-geres, and at the same time giving vent to 
his astonishment that, although young, I had already per- 
formed journeys so extensive, he dismissed us, after we had 
placed before him the parcel containing the presents destined 
for him. The whole conversation, not only with me, but also 
with my companions, was in the Hausa language. I should 
have liked to have broached to him the treaty at once, but the 
moment was not favorable. 

On the whole, I look upon 'Abd el Kader as a man of great 
worth, though devoid of energy. All the people assured me 
that he was the best of the family to which the Sultan of 
A'gades belongs. He had been already sultan before, but a 
few years ago was deposed in order to make way for Hamed 



MOHAMMMED BO'ltO. 107 

e'Rufay, whom he again succeeded ; but in 1853, while I was 
in Sdkoto, he was once more compelled to resign in favor of 
the former. 

While returning with my companions to our lodging, we met 
six of Bdro's sons, among whom our travelling companion Haj 
'Ali was distinguished for his elegance. They were going to 
the palace in order to perform their office as "fadawa-n-serki" 
(royal courtiers), and were very complaisant when they were 
informed that I had been graciously received by his majesty. 
Having heard from them that Bdro, since his return had been 
ill with fever, I took the opportunity to induce my followers to 
accompany me on a visit to him. 

Mohammed Bdro has a nice little house for a town like 
A'gades, situated on the small area called " Erarar-n-sakan, " 
or "the place of the young camels. " The house itself consists 
of two stories, and furnishes a good specimen of the better 
houses of the town ; its interior was nicely whitewashed. Bdro, 
who was greatly pleased with our visit, received us in a very 
friendly manner, and when we left accompanied us a long way 
down the street. Though he holds no office at present, he is 
nevertheless a very important personage, not only in A'gades, 
but even in Sdkoto, where he is regarded as the wealthiest 
merchant. He has a little republic of his own (like the vene- 
rable patriarchs) of not less than about fifty sons with their 
families ; but he still possesses such energy and enterprise, 
that in 1854 he was about to undertake another pilgrimage to 
Mekka. 

When I had returned to my quarters, Maggi brought me, 
as an acknowledgment of my presents, a fat, large-sized ram 
from 'Abd el Kader, which was an excellent proof that good 
meat can be got here. There is a place called Aghillad, three 
or four days' journey west from A'gades, w r hich is said to be 
very rich in cattle. On this occasion I gave to the influential 
eunuch, for himself, a white shawl with a red border. In the 
afternoon I took another walk through the town, first to the 
market, which, though it had been quiet in the morning, ex- 
hibited now a busy scene, about fifty camels being offered for 



108 MARKETS OP A'GADES. 

sale, most of them very young, and the older ones rather 
indifferent. But, while the character of the article for sale 
could not be estimated very high, that of the men employed in 
the business of the market attracted my full attention. 

They were tall men, with broad, coarse features, very different 
from any I had seen before, and with long hair hanging down 
upon their shoulders and over their face in a way which is an 
abomination to the Tawarek ; but, upon inquiry, I learned 
that they belonged to the tribe of Ighdalen or E'ghedel, a very 
curious mixed tribe of Berber and Sdnghay blood, and speak- 
ing the Songhay language. The mode of buying and selling, 
also, was very peculiar ; for the price was neither fixed in 
dollars nor in shells, but either in merchandise of various de- 
scription, such as calico, shawls, tobes, or in Negro millet, 
which is the real standard of the market of A'gades at the 
present time, while during the period of its prime it was ap- 
parently the gold of Gagho. This way of buying or selling is 
called "karba." There was a very animated scene between 
two persons ; and to settle the dispute, it was necessary to 
apply to the " serki-n-kaswa," who for every camel sold in the 
market receives three "rejel." 

From this place we went to the vegetable- market, or " kas- 
wa-n-deleli," which was but poorly supplied, only cucumbers 
and molukhia (or Corchorus olitorius) being procurable in 
considerable plenty. Passing thence to the butchers' market, 
we found it very well supplied, and giving proof that the town 
was not yet quite deserted, although some strangers were just 
gathering for the installation of the sultan, as well as for the 
celebration of the great holiday, the 'Aid el kebir, or Salla- 
leja. We then went to the third market, called Katanga, 
where, in a sort of hall supported by the stems of the diim- 
tree, about six or seven women were exhibiting on a sort of 
frame a variety of small things, such as beads and necklaces, 
sandals, small oblong tin boxes such as the Kel-owi wear for 
carrying charms, small leather boxes of all possible sizes, from 
the diameter of an inch to as much as six inches. They are 




(110) 



A MISADVENTURE. HI 

very neatly made in different colors, and. are used for tobacco, 
perfumes, and other purposes, and are called "botta. " 

October loth. Mohammed the Foolish succeeded in the 
evening in getting me into some trouble, which gave him great 
delight ; for, seeing that I took more than common interest in 
a national dance, accompanied with a song, which was going 
on at some distance E.N.E. from our house, he assured me 
that Hamma was there, and had told him that I might go and 
join in their amusement. Unfortunately, I was too easily in- 
duced ; and hanging only a cutlass over my shoulder, I went 
thither unaccompanied, sure of finding my protector in the 
merry crowd. It was about ten o'clock at night, the moon 
shining very brightly on the scene. Having first viewed it 
from some distance, I approached very near, in order to observe 
the motions of the dancers. Four young men, placed oppo- 
site to each other in pairs, were dancing with warlike motions, 
and, stamping the ground violently with the left foot, turned 
round in a circle, the motions being accompanied by the ener- 
getic clapping of hands of a numerous ring of spectators. It 
was a very interesting sight, and I should have liked to stay 
longer ; but, finding that Hamma was not present, and that 
all the people were young, and many of them buzawe, I fol- 
lowed the advice of 'Abdu, one of A'nnur's slaves, who was 
among the crowd, to withdraw as soon as possible. I had, 
however, retraced my steps but a short way, when, with the 
war-cry of Islam, and drawing their swords, all the young men 
rushed after me. Being, however, a short distance in advance, 
and fortunately not meeting with any one in the narrow street, 
I reached our house without being obliged to make use of my 
weapon ; but my friends the Kel-owi seeing me in trouble, had 
thrown the chain over the door of our house, and, with a ma- 
licious laugh, left me outside with my pursuers, so that I was 
obliged to draw my cutlass in order to keep them at bay, 
though, if they had made a serious attack, I should have fared 
ill enougli with my short, blunt European weapon against their 
long, sharp swords. 

I was rather angry with my barbarous companions, particu- 



112 THE CEREMONY OF INVESTITURE. 

larly with Mohammed ; and when, after a little delay, they 
opened the door, I loaded my pistol and threatened to shoot 
the first man that troubled me. However, I soon felt con- 
vinced that the chief fault was my own ; and, in order to ob- 
literate the bad impression which this little adventure was 
likely to make in the town, particularly as the great Moham- 
medan feast was at hand, which, of course, could not but 
strengthen greatly the prejudice against a Christian, I resolved 
to stay at home the next few days. This I could do the more 
easily, as the terrace of our house allowed me to observe all 
that was going on in the place. 

Wednesday, October nth. The 10th of Dhii el kadhi, 1266, 
was the first day of the great festival 'Aid el kebir, or Salla- 
leja (the feast of the sacrifice of the sheep), which, in these 
regions, is the greatest holiday of the Mohammedans, and was, 
in this instance, to have a peculiar importance and solemnity 
for A'gades, as the installation of 'Abd el Kader, who had not 
yet publicly assumed the government, was to take place the 
same day. Early in the morning, before daylight, Hamma 
and his companions left the house and mounted their camels, 
in order to pay their compliments to Astafidet, and join him 
in his procession ; and about sunrise the young chief entered 
and went directly to the "fada," at the head of from two 
hundred to three hundred Mehara, having left the greater 
number of his troop, which was said to amount to about two 
thousand men, outside the town. 

Then, without much ceremony or delay, the installation or 
" sarauta " of the new sultan took place. The ceremonial was 
gone through inside the fada ; but this was the procedure. 
First of all, 'Abd el Kader was conducted from his private 
apartments to the public hall. Then the chiefs of the Itisan 
and Kel-geres, who went in front, begged him to sit down 
upon the " gadd," a sort of couch or divan made of the leaves 
of the palm-tree, or of the branches of other trees, similar to 
the angarib used in Egypt and the lands of the Upper Nile, 
and covered with mats and a carpet. Upon this the new sul- 
tan sat down, resting his feet on the ground, not being allowed 



A VISIT FROM IIAJ 'ABDUVa. 113 

to put them upon the gadd, and recline in the Oriental style, 
until the Kel-owi desired him to do so. Such is the ceremony, 
symbolical of the combined participation of these different 
tribes in the investiture of their sultan. 

This ceremony being concluded, the whole holiday-procession 
left the palace on its way to a chapel of a merabet called Sidi 
Hammada, in Tara-bere, outside the town, where, according 
to an old custom, the prince was to say his prayers. This is a 
rule prevailing over the whole of Mohammedan Africa, and 
one which I myself witnessed in some of the most important 
of its capitals — in A'gades, in Kukawa, in Mas-ena, in Sokoto, 
and in Timbuktu ; everywhere the principle is the same. 

Not deeming it prudent on such an occasion to mix with the 
people, I witnessed the whole procession from the terrace of 
our house, though I should have liked to have had a nearer 
view. The procession having taken its course through the 
most important quarter of the town, and through the market- 
places, turned round from the " kaswa-n-delelti " to the oldest 
quarter of the town, and then returned westward, till at last it 
reached the above-mentioned chapel or tomb of Sidi Ham- 
mada, where there is a small cemetery. The prayer being 
finished, the procession returned by the southern part of the 
town, and about ten o'clock the different parties which had 
composed the cortege separated. 

Shortly after the procession was over, the friendly Haj 'Ab- 
duwa, who, after he had parted from us in Eghellal, had at- 
tached himself to the troop of Astafidet, came to pay me a 
visit. He was now tolerably free from fever, but begged for 
some Epsom salts, besides a little gunpowder. He informed 
me that there was much sickness in town, that from two to 
three people died daily, and that even Astafidet was suffering 
from the prevalent disease. This was the small-pox, a very 
fatal disease in Central Africa, against which, however, several 
of the native pagan tribes secure themselves by inoculation, a 
precaution from which Mohammedans are withheld by religious 
prejudice. I then received a visit from the sons of Boro in 
their official character as "fadawa-n-serki.'' They wished to 
10* 



114 A DIVAN. 

inform themselves, apparently, with reference to my adventure 
the other night, whether the townspeople behaved well toward 
me ; and I was prudent enough to tell them that I had nothing 
to complain of, my alarm having been the consequence of my 
own imprudence. In fact, the people behaved remarkably 
well, considering that I was the first Christian that ever visited 
the town ; and the little explosions of fanaticism into which 
the women and children sometimes broke out, when they saw 
me on our terrace, rather amused me. During the first days 
of my residence in A'gades, they most probably took me for a 
pagan or a polytheist, and cried after me the confessional words 
of Islam, laying all the stress upon the word Allah, "the One 
God;" but, after a few days, when they had learned that I 
likewise worshipped the Deity, they began to emphasize the 
name of their Prophet. 

There was held about sunset a grave and well-attended divan 
of all the chiefs, to consult with respect to a " yaki " or " ege- 
hen," a ghazzia to be undertaken against the Meharebin or 
freebooters of the Awelimmiden. While we were still in Tin- 
tellust, the rumor had spread of an expedition undertaken by 
the latter tribe against Air, and the people were all greatly 
excited. 

Thursday », October 11th. A'nnur karami, our amiable and 
indolent attendant, left this place for Tintellust with a note 
which I wrote to my colleagues, informing them of my safe 
arrival, my gracious reception, and the general character of 
the place. To-day the whole town was in agitation in conse- 
quence of one of those characteristic events which, in a place 
like A'gades, serve to mark the different periods of the year ; 
for here a man can do nothing singly, but all must act toge- 
ther. The salt-caravan of the Itisan and Kel-geres had col- 
lected, mustering, I was told, not less than ten thousand 
camels, and had encamped in Mermeru and Tesak-n-tallem, 
ready to start for the salt-mines of Bilma, along a road which 
will be indicated further on. However exaggerated the number 
of the camels might be, it was certainly a very large caravan : 



VISIT FROM MOHAMMED BO'RO. 115 

and a great many of the inhabitants went out to settle their 
little business with the men and take leave of their friends. 

Saturday, October 19th. Harnma and his companions were 
summoned to a council which was to decide definitely in what 
quarter the arm of justice, now raised in wrath, was to strike 
the first blow, and it was resolved that the expedition should 
first punish the Imghad, the Ikazkezan, and Fade-angh. The 
officer who made the proclamation through the town was pro- 
vided with a very rude sort of drum, which was, in fact, 
nothing but an old barrel covered with a skin. 

Sunday, October 20th. The most important event in the 
course of the day was a visit which I received from Mohammed 
Bdro, our travelling companion from Murzuk, with his sons. 
It was the best proof of his noble character that, before we 
separated, perhaps never to meet again, he came to speak with 
me, and to explain our mutual relations fairly. He certainly 
could not deny that he had been extremely angry with us, and 
I could not condemn him on this account, for he had been 
treated ignominiously. While Mr. Gagliuffi told him that we 
were persuaded that the whole success of our proceedings lay 
in his hands, he had been plainly given to understand that we 
set very little value on his services. Besides, he had sustained 
some heavy losses on the journey, and, by waiting for us, had 
consumed the provisions which he had got ready for the march. 

Although an old man, he was first going with the expedition, 
after which he intended accompanying the caravan of the Kel- 
geres to Sokoto with his whole family, for Sokoto is his real 
home. The salt-caravan and the company of this man offered 
a splendid opportunity for reaching that place in safety and by 
the most direct road, but our means did not allow of such a 
journey, and, after all, it was better, at least for myself, that it 
was not undertaken, since, as matters went, it was reserved for 
me, before I traced my steps toward the western regions, to 
discover the upper navigable course of the eastern branch of 
the so-called Niger, and make sundry other important dis- 
coveries. Nevertheless, Bdro expressed his hope of seeing me 
again in Sokoto, and his wish might easily have been accom- 



116 AUDIENCE OF LEAVE. 

plished. He certainly must have been, when in the vigor of 
life, a man, in the full sense of the word, and well deserved the 
praise of the Enigedesiye, who have a popular song beginning 
with the words " A'gades has no men but Bdro and Dahammi. " 
I now also became aware why he had many enemies in Miirzuk, 
who unfortunately succeeded in making Gagliufh* believe that 
he had no authority whatever in his own country ; for as serki- 
n-turawa he had to levy the tax of ten mithkals on every camel- 
load of merchandise, and this he is said to have done with some 
degree of severity. After a long conversation on the steps of 
the terrace, we parted the best possible friends. 

Not so pleasant to me, though not without interest, was the 
visit of another great man — Belroji, the tamberi or war-chief- 
tain of the Ighdlar Ini-esaghlar. He was still in his prime, 
but my Kel-owi (who were always wrangling like children) got 
up a desperate fight with him in my very room, which was soon 
filled with clouds of dust ; and the young Sliman entering during 
the row, and joining in it, it became really frightful. The Kel- 
owi were just like children : when they went out they never 
failed to put on all their finery, which they threw off as soon 
as they came within doors, resuming their old dirty clothes. 

Monday, October 2lst. Early in the morning I went with 
Hamma to take leave of the sultan, who had been too busy for 
some days to favor me with an audience ; and I urged my 
friend to speak of the treaty, though I was myself fully aware 
of the great difficulty which so complicated a paper, written in 
a form entirely unknown to the natives, and which must natu- 
rally be expected to awaken their suspicion, would create, and 
of the great improbability of its being signed while the sultan 
was pressed with a variety of business. 

We went to the fada. The sultan seemed quite ready for 
starting. He was sitting in the court-yard of his palace, sur- 
rounded by a multitude of people and camels, while the loud 
murmuring noise of a number of schoolboys who were learning 
the Kuran proceeded from the opposite corner, and prevented 
my hearing the conversation of the people. The crowd and the 
open locality were, of course, not very favorable to my last 



LETTERS FROM THE SULTAN. 117 

audience, and it was necessarily a cold one. Supported by 
Harnma, I informed the sultan that I expected still to receive 
a letter from him to the government under whose auspices I 
was travelling, expressive of the pleasure and satisfaction he 
had felt in being honored with a visit from one of the mission, 
and that he would gladly grant protection to any future traveller 
who should happen to visit his country. The sultan promised 
that such a letter should be written ; however, the result proved 
that either he had not quite understood what I meant, or, what 
is more probable, that in his precarious situation he felt him- 
self not justified in writing to a Christian government, especi- 
ally as he had received no letter from it. 

When I had returned to my quarters, Hamma brought me 
three letters, in which 'Abd el Kader recommended my person 
and my luggage to the care of the governors of Kano, Katsena, 
and Daura, and which were written in rather incorrect Arabic, 
and in nearly the same terms. They were as follows : 

" In the name of God, &c. 
"From the Emir of Ahir, 'Abd el Kader, son of the Sultan Mohammed 
el Bakeri, to the Emir of Daura, son of the late Emir of Daura, Is-hhak. 
The mercy of God upon the eldest companions of the Prophet, and his 
blessing upon the Khalifa; 'Amin.' The most lasting blessing and the 
highest well-being to you without end. I send this message to you with 
regard to a stranger, my guest, of the name of 'Abd el Kerim, who came 
to me, and is going to the Emir el Mumenin [the Sultan of Sokoto], in order 
that, when he proceeds to you, you may protect him and treat him well, 
so that none of the freebooters and evildoers may hurt him or his pro- 
perty, but that he may reach the Emir el Mumenin. Indeed, we wrote 
this on account of the freebooters, in order that you may protect him 
against them in the most efficacious manner. Farewell." 

These letters were all sealed with the seal of the sultan. 

The whole population was in alarm, and everybody who was 
able to bear arms prepared for the expedition. About sunset 
the "egehen" left the town, numbering about four hundred 
men, partly on camels, partly on horseback, besides the people 
on foot. Boro as well as A'shu accompanied the sultan, who 
this time was himself mounted on a camel. They went to take 



118 RESULTS OF THE EXPEDITION. 

their encampment near that of Astafidet, in Tagiirast, 'Abd 
el Kader pitching a tent of a gray color, and in size like that 
of a Turkish agha, in the midst of the Kel-geres, the Kel-fer- 
wan, and the Emgedesiye, while Astafidet, who had no tent, 
was surrounded by the Kel-owl. The sultan was kind and 
attentive enough not to forget me even now ; and, having heard 
that I bad not yet departed, Hamma not having finished his 
business in the town, he sent me some wheat, a large botta with 
butter and vegetables (chiefly melons and cucumbers), and the 
promise of another sheep. 

In the evening the drummer again went his rounds through 
the town, proclaiming the strict order of the sultan that every 
body should lay in a large supply of provisions. Although the 
town in general had become very silent when deserted by so 
many people, our house was kept in constant bustle ; and in 
the course of the night three mehara came from the camp, 
with people who could get no supper there and sought it with 
us. Boro sent a messenger to me early the next morning, 
urgently begging for a little powder, as the "Meharebin" of 
the Imghad had sent off their camels and other property, and 
were determined to resist the army of the sultan. However, 
I could send him but very little. My amusing friend Moham- 
med spent the whole day with us, when he went to join the 
ghazzia. I afterward learned that he obtained four head of 
cattle as his share. There must be considerable herds of cattle 
in the more favored valleys of Asben ; for the expedition had 
nothing else to live upon, as Mohammed afterward informed 
me, and slaughtered an immense quantity of them. Altogether 
the expedition was successful, and the Fade-angh and many 
tribes of Imghad lost almost all their property. Even the in- 
fluential Haj Beshir was punished, on account of his son 
having taken part in the expedition against us. I received also 
the satisfactory information that 'Abd el Kader had taken nine 
camels from the man who retained my meheri ; but I gained 
nothing thereby, neither my own camel being returned nor 
another given me in its stead. The case was the same with all 
our things ; but nevertheless the proceeding had a good effect, 



WANTON MANNERS. 119 

seeing that people were punished expressly for having robbed 
Christians, and thus the principle was established that it was 
not less illegal to rob Christians than it was to rob Mohamme- 
dans, both creeds being placed, as far as regards the obligations 
of peace and honesty, on equally favorable terms. 

October 2ith. I had a fair sample of the state of morals in 
A'gades, Five or six girls and women came to pay me a visit 
in our house, and with much simplicity invited me to make 
merry with them, there being now, as they said, no longer 
reason for reserve, "as the sultan was gone." Two of them 
were tolerably pretty and well formed, with fine black hair 
hanging down in plaits or tresses, lively eyes, and very fair 
complexions. Their dress was decent, and that of one of them 
even elegant, consisting of an under gown reaching from the 
neck to the ankles, and an upper one drawn over the head, 
both of white color ; but their demeanor was very free, and I 
too clearly understood the caution requisite in a European who 
would pass through these countries unharmed and respected 
by the natives, to allow myself to be tempted by these wantons. 
It would be better for a traveller in these regions, both for his 
own comfort and for the respect felt for him by the natives, if 
he could take his wife with him ; for these simple people do not 
understand how a man can live without a partner. The West- 
ern Tawarek, who in general are very rigorous in their manners, 
and quite unlike the Kel-owi, had nothing to object against me 
except my being a bachelor. But as it is difficult to find a 
female companion for such journeys, and as by marrying a 
native he would expose himself to much trouble and inconve- 
nience on the score of religion, he will do best to maintain the 
greatest austerity of manners with regard to the other sex, 
though he may thereby expose himself to a good deal of 
derision from some of the lighter-hearted natives. The ladies, 
however, became so troublesome that I thought it best to 
remain at home for a few days, and was thus enabled at the 
same time to note down the information which I had been able 
to pick up. 

Monday, October 2St7i. During all this time I prosecuted 



120 ENLIGHTENED VIEWS. 

inquiries with regard to several subjects connected with the 
geography and ethnography of this quarter of the world. I 
received several visits from Emgedesi tradesmen, many of 
whom are established in the northern provinces of Hausa, 
chiefly in Katsena and Tasawa, where living is infinitely cheaper 
than in A'gades. All these I found to be intelligent men, 
having been brought up in the centre of intercourse between a 
variety of tribes and nations of the most different organization, 
and, through the web of routes which join here, receiving in- 
formation of distant regions. Several of them had even made 
the Pilgrimage, and thus come in contact with the relatively 
high state of civilization in Egypt and near the coast ; and I 
shall not easily forget the enlightened view which the m'allem 
Haj Mohammed 'Omar, who visited me several times, took of 
Islamism and Christianity. The last day of my stay in 
A'gades, he reverted to the subject of religion, and asked me, 
in a manner fully expressive of his astonishment, how it came 
to pass that the Christians and Moslemin were so fiercely 
opposed to one another, although their creeds, in essential 
principles, approximated so closely. To this I replied by say- 
ing that I thought the reason was that the great majority both 
of Christians and Moslemin paid less regard to the dogmas of 
their creeds than to external matters, which have very little or 
no reference to religion itself. I also tried to explain to him 
that, in the time of Mohammed, Christianity had entirely lost 
that purity which was its original character, and that it had 
been mixed up with many idolatrous elements, from which it 
was not entirely disengaged till a few centuries ago, while the 
Mohammedans had scarcely any acquaintance with Christians 
except those of the old sects of the Jacobites and Nestorians. 
Mutually pleased with our conversation, we parted from each 
other with regret. 

In the afternoon I was agreeably surprised by the arrival of 
the Tiny'lkum Ibrahim, for the purpose of supplying his 
brother's house with what was wanted ; and being determined 
to make only one day's stay in the town, he had learned with 
pleasure that we were about to return by way of A'fasas, the 



DAMERGHU'. 121 

village whither he himself was going. I myself had cherished 
this hope, as all the people had represented that place as one 
of the largest in the country, and as pleasantly situated. 
Hamma had promised to take me this way on our return to 
Tintellust ; but having staid so much longer in the town than 
he had intended, and being afraid of arriving too late for the 
salt-caravan of the Kel-owi on their way to Bilma, which he 
was to supply with provisions, he changed his plan, and deter- 
mined to return by the shortest road. Meanwhile, he informed 
me that the old chief would certainly not go with us to Zinder 
till the salt-caravan had returned from Bilma. 

Fortunately, in the course of the 29th, a small caravan with 
corn arrived from Damerghii, and Hamma completed his pur- 
chases. He had, however, first to settle a disagreeable affair ; 
for our friend Zdmmuzuk had bought in Hamma's name seve- 
ral things, for which payment was now demanded. Hamma 
flew into a terrible rage, and nearly finished the rogue. My 
Arab and Tawati friends, who heard that we were to start the 
following day, though they were rather busy buying corn, 
came to take leave of me ; and I was glad to part from all of 
them in friendship. 

A'gades is in no respect a place of resort for wealthy mer- 
chants, not even Arabs ; while with regard to Europe its im- 
portance at present consists in its lying on the most direct road 
to Sokoto and that part of Sudan. In my opinion it would 
form for a European agent a very good and comparatively 
healthy place from which to open relations with Central Africa. 
The native merchants seem only to visit the markets of Kat- 
sena, Tasawa, Maradi, Kand, and Sokoto, and, as far as I was 
able to learn, never go to the northern markets of Ghat or 
Miirzuk unless on a journey to Mekka, which several of them 
have made. Neither does there seem to exist any intercourse 
at present with Gagho or Gdgo, or with Timbuktu ; but the 
Arabs of Azawad and those parts, when undertaking a pil- 
grimage, generally go by way of A'gades. 

I here add the prices of different articles, as they were sold 
in the market during my residence in the place : 
11 



122 MARKET PRICES. 

Mithkal* Rejel. 
Duklm " ge"ro " (Pennisetum), or durra "dawa" (sorghum), 

twenty zekka, being equal to forty of the measure used 

in Tintellust 1 

Rice, ten zekka 1 

Camel, a young one, two years old, not yet fit for carrying 

loads 18 

Ditto, full grown 25 

Horse, a good strong one , 100 

Ditto, a fine one, of Tawat breed 1000 

Ass 6 to 8 

Ox 8 

Calf 4 

Ram 1 5 

Sandals, a pair of common ones 1 

Ditto, a pair of fine ones 5 

Camel-saddle (or "rakhla" in Arabic, "kigi" in Temashight) 10 

Ditto, a common one 5 

Leather bag, of colored leather, for containing clothes 1 

Mat, a fine colored one 6 

English calico, ten dr'a or cubits 1 

Subeta, or white Egyptian shawl with red border 1 

Koimu, or the fine Egyptian colored sheep-leather, a piece... 1 
Turkedi, or the dark-colored cotton cloth for female dress, of 

Kano manufacture, common 2 

Ditto, of finer texture 3 to 5 8 

My stay in A'gades was too short to justify my entering 
into detail about the private life of the people, but all that I 
saw convinced me that, although open to most serious censure 
on the part of the moralist, it presented many striking features 
of cheerfulness and happiness, and nothing like the misery 
which is often met with in towns which have declined from 
their former glory. It still contains many active germs of 
national life, which are most gratifying to the philosophic tra- 
veller. The situation, on an elevated plateau, cannot but be 
healthy, as the few waterpools, of small dimensions, are in- 
capable' of infecting the air. 

* The mithkal of A'gades is equal to 1000 kurdi, 2500 of which make 
a Spanish or Austrian dollar. 



DEPARTURE FROM a'GADES. 123 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Dr. Barth's departure from A'gades — Stay in Tin-teggana — Departure 
for Sudan — The Salt Caravan — A knur's present to Dr. Barth — The 
Tagama — Visit of a Queen of the Desert — Arrival at Tagelel. 

Wednesday, October SOth. We at length left A'gades. I 
felt as if I had enjoyed a glimpse of a totally different world, 
a new region of life, many relations of which were as yet 
obscure to me. Timbuktu, which was in the background of 
this novel and living picture, seemed almost an unattainable 
object. An acquaintance with it would not fail to throw light 
upon this advanced post of Sdnghay nationality and its state 
of civilization ; but at that time I little expected that it would 
be my destiny to dwell a year in that mysterious place, and I 
had even reason to doubt the possibility of reaching it from 
this quarter. All my thoughts were bent on the south ; and 
although at present retracing my steps toward the north, yet, 
as it carried me back to our head-quarters, whence I might 
soon expect to start for the southern regions, I regarded it as 
a step in advance. 

But the commencement of the journey was most abortive, 
and made me rather regret that I had not spent the day in the 
town. Hamma was unable to find some of the asses belonging 
to the caravan, for the simple reason that our friend Ziim- 
muzuk had sold them ; and the whole day was lost, so that we 
encamped after a march of scarcely two miles and a half. Here 
we were joined by Ibrahim and by a very amiable, intelligent 
Kel-owi of the name of Rabbot. 

When at length, on Thursday morning, we fairly began our 
journey, we followed entirely our old road, Hamma being 
anxious to get home ; but nevertheless, as the mountains and 
ridges which characterize this region now met the eyes from 



124 AN INCIDENT. — LIONS. 

the other side, the scenery was a good deal varied, and I had 
frequent opportunities of completing my map of this part of 
the country. Besides, we chose our encampments in new 
localities ; and many little incidents varied our journey, the 
most interesting of which was the approach of a party of five 
lions in the valley Budde, when Hamma called us to arms. 
He, Kabbot, Mohammed, and I advanced to meet them, but 
they soon turned their backs, leaping over the rocky ground 
toward their mountain retreat. The lion of Air does not 
seem to be a very ferocious animal, and, like those of all this 
border-region of the desert, has no mane — that is to say, as 
compared with other lions. The maneless lion of Guzerat is 
well known, but a similar species seems also to occur in Sind 
and Persia. The lion of Central Africa, at least of Bdrnu and 
Logon, has a beautiful mane ; and the skin of a lion of that 
region, which I took with me on my journey to Western Sudan, 
excited the admiration of all who saw it. 

On the morning of the 5th of November, which was to be 
the day of our arrival in Tintellust, it was so cold that we 
started rather late, Hamma simply declaring that the cold did 
not allow him to go on. Having started at length, we made 
a long day's march, and after eleven hours and a half travelling 
reached the well-known sand-hill opposite Tintellust, where 
our encampment had staid so long. 

But the residence of the great chief A'nnur was buried in the 
deepest silence ; the couriers, the blacksmiths, all the great men 
and ladies had gone away. Hamma went to see if any body 
remained behind, while we cooked our rice, and prepared to 
make ourselves comfortable for the night. That, however, was 
out of the question ; for, when he returned, he ordered us to 
decamp at once ; and though nothing is more dreadful than a 
night's march, particularly when it succeeds to a long day's 
journey, yet in the enthusiasm awakened by the thought of 
going southward, I, with all my heart, joined in the exclama- 
tion, " Se fataiichi se Kand !" (" no rest before Kand" — pro- 
perly, tl nothing but travelling, nothing but Kano !") 

It was ten o'clock in the evening when we started again 



FINAL DEPARTURE FOR SUDA'n. 125 

along the broad valley, taking leave forever of "the English 
Hill ;." but I soon began to suffer from the consequences of 
fatigue. In order to avoid falling from my camel in my 
drowsy state, I was obliged to drag myself along a great part of 
the night on foot, which was not at all agreeable, as the ground 
was at times very rugged, and covered with long grass. 
Having crossed a rocky flat, we entered, about four o'clock in 
the morning, the wide plain of Tin-teggana, stumbling along 
through the thick cover of bii-rekkeba and other sorts of her- 
bage, till dawn, coming on with rather chilly air, revealed to 
our benumbed senses the encampment of the caravan. Having 
therefore made repeated halts, to give the people time to re- 
cognise us, in order not to occasion any alarm, as our leader 
Hamma was not with us, but had lain down at the road side 
to get a few hours' rest, we made straight for the two European 
tents, which showed us precisely the residence of my fellow- 
travellers. The old chief A'nnur was up, and received me 
with great kindness — more kindly, I must say, than my col- 
leagues, who apparently felt some jealousy on account of the 
success which had attended my proceedings. 

Having once more taken possession of the well known home 
of our little tent, I preferred looking about the encampment to 
lying down, for sleeping after sunrise is not agreeable to me. 

[The travellers remained encamped in the valley of Tin- 
teggana more than a month, waiting for the opportunity to 
accompany the chief A'nnur, with his salt caravan, to Kand. 
During this time no incident of importance took place.] 

Thursday, December 12th, 1850. — At length the day broke 
when we were to move on and get nearer the longed-for object 
of our journey, though we were aware that our first progress 
would be slow. 

Late in the morning we began to move, but very slowly, 
halting every now and then. At length the old chief himself 
came up, walking like a young man before his meheri, which 
he led by the nose-cord, and the varied groups composing the 
caravan began to march more steadily. It was a whole nation 
in motion, the men on camels or on foot, the women on bul- 
11* 



126 VALLEY OF TA r NNEGAT. 

locks or on asses, with all the necessaries of the little house- 
hold, as well as the houses themselves — a herd of cattle, 
another of milk-goats, and numbers of young camels running 
playfully alongside, and sometimes getting between the regu- 
lar lines of the laden camels. The ground was very rocky and 
rugged, and looked bare and desolate in the extreme, the plain 
being strewn for a while with loose basaltic stones, like the 
plain of Taghist. 

Friday, December 13th. Starting rather late, we continued 
through the mountainous region, generally ascending, while a 
cold wind made our old friend the chief shiver and regard with 
feelings of envy my thick black berniis, although he had got 
bemuses enough from us not only to protect him against cold, 
but us too against any envious feeling for the little which was 
left us. Keeping now over rocky ground, then along the 
bottom of a valley called Tanegat, about half a mile broad, 
where we passed a well on our right, we at length reached a 
mountain spur starting off from the ridge on our right, and 
entered a beautiful broad plain stretching out to the foot of a 
considerable mountain group, which was capped by a remark- 
able picturesquely-indented cone called Mari. Here we saw 
the numerous camels of the salt-caravan grazing in the distance 
to our left ; and after having crossed a small rocky flat, we 
encamped in the very channel of the torrent, being certain that 
at this season no such danger as overwhelmed us in the valley 
E'ghazar was to be feared. 

Saturday, December 14//?. We started early, but encamped, 
after a short march of about six miles, on uneven ground inter- 
sected by numbers of small ridges. The reason of the halt 
was, that the whole of the caravan was to come up and to join 
together ; and our old chief here put on his official dress (a 
yellow bernus of good quality), to show his dignity as leader 
of such a host of people. 

Salt forms the only article conveyed by this caravan. The 
form of the largest cake is very remarkable ; but it must be 
borne in mind that the salt in Bilma is in a fluid state, and is 
formed into this shape by pouring it into a wooden mould. 



THE SALT-CARAVAN. 127 

This pedestal or loaf of salt (kantu) is equal to five of the 
smaller cakes, which are called aserim, and each aserim equals 
four of the smallest cakes, which are called " fdtu." The bags, 
made of the leaves of the ddm-palm (or the " kabba"), in which 
these loaves are packed up, are called "takrufa." But the 
finest salt is generally in loose grains ; and this is the only- 
palatable salt, while the ordinary salt of Bilma is very bitter 
to the European palate, and spoils everything ; but the former 
is more than three times the value of the latter. The price 
paid in Bilma is but two zekkas for three kantus. 

Sunday, December Ibth. The general start of the united 
"airi," or caravan, took place with great spirit; and a wild, 
enthusiastic cry, raised over the whole extent of the encamp- 
ment, answered to the beating of the drums ; for, though the 
Kel-o wi are greatly civilized by the influence of the black popu- 
lation, nevertheless they are still " half demons," while the 
thoroughbred and freeborn Amoshagh (whatever name he may 
bear, whether Tarki, ba-A'sbenchi, Kindin, or Chapato) is re- 
garded by all the neighboring tribes, Arabs as well as Afri- 
cans, as a real demon ("jin"). Notwithstanding all this 
uproar, we were rather astonished at the small number of 
camels laden with salt which formed A'nnur's caravan ; for 
they did not exceed two hundred, and their loads in the aggre- 
gate would realize in Kano, at the very utmost, three thousand 
dollars, which, if taken as the principal revenue of the chief, 
seems very little. The whole number of the caravan did not 
exceed two thousand camels. 

[No incident of importance occurred during the next fifteen 
days of the march towards Kano.] 

December 31st. Last day of 1850. A cold day and a 
mountainous country. After we had crossed the sand-hills, 
there was nothing before us but one flat expanse of sand, mostly 
bare, and clothed with trees only in favored spots. The most 
remarkable phenomenon was the appearance of the feathery 
bristle, the Pennisetum distichum, which on the road to 
A'gades begins much farther northward. Indeed, when we 
encamped, we had some difficulty in finding a spot free from 



128 PRESENT FROM THE CHIEF. 

this nuisance, though of course the strong wind carried the 
seeds to a great distance. All our enjoyment of the last even- 
ing of the old year centered in an extra dish of two ostrich 

PCPffS 
CO * 

January 1st, 1851. This morning the condition in which the 
people composing the caravan crawled out of their berths was 
most miserable and piteous ; and, moreover, nobody thought 
of starting early, as several camels had been lost. At length, 
when the intense cold began to abate, and when the animals 
had been found, every body endeavored to free himself and his 
clothing from the bristles, which joined each part of his dress 
to the others like so many needles ; but what one succeeded in 
getting rid of was immediately carried by the strong wind to 
another, so that all were in every respect peevish when they 
set out at half past nine o'clock. Nevertheless, the day was to 
be a very important one to me, and one on which princely 
favor was to be shown to me in a most marked manner. 

I have remarked above that on the day I started for A'gades 
the old chief made a present of a bullock to the other members 
of the mission ; but in this present I myself did not participate, 
and I had not yet received anything from him. Perhaps he 
was sensible of this, and wanted to give me likewise a proof 
of his royal generosity, but I am afraid he was at the same 
time actuated by feelings of a very different nature. He had 
several times praised my Turkish jacket, and I had consoled 
him with a razor or some other trifle ; he had avowedly coveted 
my warm black bernus, and had effected by his frank intima- 
tions nothing more than to make me draw my warm clothing 
closer round my body. In order to bear the fatigue of the 
journey more easily, he had long ago exchanged the little 
narrow kigi or meheri-saddle for the broad pack-saddle, with 
a load of salt, as a secure seat. 

He was one of the foremost in his string, while I, mounted 
upon ray Bu-Sefi (who, since the loss of my meheri, had once 
more become my favorite saddle-horse), was riding outside the 
caravan, separated from him by several strings of camels. He 
called me by name; and, on my answering his call, he invited 



the taga'ma. 129 

me to come to him. To do this, I had to ride round all the 
strings. At length I reached him. He began to complain of 
the intense cold, from which he was suffering so acutely, while 
I seemed to be so comfortable in my warm clothes ; then he 
asked if the ostrich eggs of yesterday evening had pleased us, 
whereupon I told him that his people had cheered us greatly 
by contributing, with their gift, to enable us to celebrate our 
chief festival. He then put his hand into his knapsack, and 
drawing forth a little cheese, and lifting it high up, so that all 
his people might see it, he presented the princely gift to me, 
with a gracious and condescending air, as a " magani-n-dari" 
(a remedy against the cold), words which I, indeed, was not 
sure whether they were not meant ironically, as an intimation 
that I had withheld from him the real magani-n-dari, my black 
berniis. 

Thursday, January 3d. Soon after setting out on our 
march we met a caravan consisting of twenty oxen laden with 
corn, and farther on we passed a herd of cattle belonging to 
the Tagama — a most cheerful sight to us. We then encamped 
before ten o'clock a little beyond a village of the same tribe, 
which, from a neighboring well, bears the name In-asamet. 
The village consisted of huts exactly of the kind described by 
Leo ; for they were built of mats (stuore) erected upon stalks 
(frasche), and covered with hides over a layer of branches, 
and were very low. Numbers of children and cattle gave to 
the encampment a lively aspect. The well is rather deep — not 
less than seventeen fathoms. 

We had scarcely encamped when we were visited by the 
male inhabitants of the village, mounted upon a small, ill- 
looking breed of horses. They proved to be somewhat trou- 
blesome, instigated as they were by curiosity, as well as by 
their begging propensities ; but, in order to learn as much as 
possible, I thought it better to sacrifice the comfort of my tent, 
and converse with them. They were generally tall men, and 
much fairer than the Kel-owi ; but in their customs they 
showed that they had fallen off much from ancient usages, 
through intercourse with strangers. The women not only made 



130 occupations or the taga'ma. 

the first advances, but, what is worse, they were offered even 
by the men — their brethren or husbands. Even those among 
the men whose behavior was least vile and revolting did not 
cease urging us to engage with the women, who failed not to 
present themselves soon afterward. It could scarcely be taken 
as a joke. Some of the women were immensely fat, particu- 
larly in the hinder regions, for which the Tawarek have a pe- 
culiar and expressive name — tebiilloden. Their features were 
very regular and their skin fair. The two most distinguished 
among them gave their names as Shabd and Tamatu ; which 
latter word, though signifying "woman" in general, may 
nevertheless be also used as a proper name. The wealthier 
among them were dressed in black tiirkedi and the zenne ; the 
poorer in white cotton. The dress of most of the men was 
also white ; but the chief peculiarity of the latter was, that 
several of them wore their hair hanging down in long tresses. 
This is a token of their being Anislimen or Merabetin (holy 
men), which character they assume, notwithstanding their dis- 
solute manners. They have no school, but pride themselves 
on having a m'allem appointed at their mesallaje, which must 
be miserable enough. Having once allowed the people to come 
into my tent, I could not clear it again the whole day. The 
names of the more respectable among the men were Kille, El 
Khassen, Efarret, Chay, Rissa, Khandel, and Amaghar (pro- 
perly "the Elder"). All these people, men and women, 
brought with them a variety of objects for sale ; and I bought 
from them some dried meat of the welwaiji (Antilope leuco- 
ryx), which proved to be very fine, as good as beef; others, 
however, asserted that it was the flesh of the " rakomi-n-dawa " 
or giraffe. 

Hunting, together with cattle-breeding, is the chief occupa- 
tion of the Tagama ; and they are expert enough with their 
little swift horses to catch the large antelope as well as the 
giraffe. Others engage in the salt-trade, and accompany the 
Kel-geres on their way to Bilma, without, however, following 
them to Sokoto, where they are not allowed to enter ; but they 
bring their salt to Kano. In this respect the Tagama acknow- 



A QUEEN OF THE DESERT. 131 

ledge, also, in a certain degree, the supremacy of the Sultan 
of A'gades. 

Their slaves were busy in collecting and pounding the seeds 
of the karengia, or uzak (Pennisetum disiichum), which con- 
stitutes a great part of their food. Whatever may be got here 
is procurable only with money ; even the water is sold : the 
water-skin for a sekka of millet ; but, of course, grain is here 
very much cheaper than in Air, and even than in A'gades. 
Altogether, the Tagama form at present a very small tribe, 
able to muster, at the utmost, three hundred spears, but most 
of them are mounted on horseback. Formerly, however, they 
were far more numerous, till I'bram, the father of the present 
chief, undertook, with the assistance of the Kel-geres, the un- 
fortunate expedition against Sdkoto (then governed by Bello), 
of which Clapperton has given a somewhat exaggerated ac- 
count. The country around is said to be greatly infested by 
lions, which often carry off camels. 

Friday, January 4th. Our setting out this morning, after 
the camels were all laden and the men mounted, was retarded 
by the arrival of a queen of the desert, a beauty of the first 
rank, at least as regarded her dimensions. The lady, with 
really handsome features, was mounted upon a white bullock, 
which snorted violently under his immense burden. Neverthe- 
less, this luxurious specimen of womankind was sickly, and 
required the assistance of the tabib, or "ne-meglan," a title 
which Overweg had earned for himself by his doctoring, 
though his practice was rather of a remarkable kind ; for he 
used generally to treat his patients, not according to the cha- 
racter of their sickness, but according to the days of the week 
on which they came. Thus he had one day of calomel, an- 
other of Dover's powder, one of Epsom salts, one of mag- 
nesia, one of tartar emetic, the two remaining days being de- 
voted to some other medicines ; and it of course sometimes 
happened that the man who suffered from diarrhoea got Epsom 
salts, and he who required opening medicine was blessed with 
a dose of Dover's powder. Of course my friend made nume- 
rous exceptions to this calendary method of treating disease 



132 MARKET-DAY IN TA'GELEL. 

whenever time and circumstances allowed him to study more 
fully the state of a patient. However, in the hurry in which 
we just then were, he could scarcely make out what the ima- 
ginary or real infirmity of this lady was, and I cannot say what 
she got. She was certainly a woman of great authority, as 
the old chief himself was full of kind regards and deference to 
her. We were rather astonished that he exchanged here his 
brown mare for a lean white horse, the owners of which 
seemed, with good reason, excessively delighted with the bar- 
gain. 

[On the 9th of January the caravan had reached Tagelel, 
one of the residences of the chief A'nnur, under whose pro- 
tection the party were now travelling.] 

Thursday, January Wr. This was the great market-day in 
Tagelel, on which account our departure was put off till the 
following day ; but the market did not become thronged until 
a late hour. I went there in the afternoon. The market- 
place, which was about 800 yards distant from our encamp- 
ment, toward the west, upon a small hilly eminence, was pro- 
vided with several sheds or riinfas. The articles laid out for 
sale consisted of cotton (which was imported), tobacco, ostrich 
eggs, cheese, mats, ropes, nets, earthenware pots giiras (or 
drinking-vessels made of the Gucarbita ovifera and G. lage- 
naria) and kdrios (or vessels made of a fine sort of reed, for 
containing fluids, especially milk) ; besides these there were a 
tolerable supply of vegetables, and two oxen, for sale. The 
buyers numbered about a hundred. 

In the afternoon two magozawa, or pagans, in a wild and 
fanciful attire (the dry leaves of Indian corn or sorghum hang- 
ing down from their barbarous head-dress and from the leather 
apron, which was girt round their loins and richly ornamented 
with shells and bits of colored cloth), danced in front of our 
tents the " devil's dance " — a performance of great interest in 
regard to the ancient pagan customs of these countries. 

Tagelel was a very important point for the proceedings of 
the mission on several accounts. For here we had reached the 
lands where travellers are able to proceed singly on their way ; 



SEPARATION OF THE TRAVELLERS. 133 

and here Overweg and I were to part from Mr. Richardson, 
on account of the low state of our finances, in order to try 
what each of us might be able to accomplish single-handed 
and without ostentation till new supplies should arrive from 
home. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Separation of the Travellers — Dr. Overweg goes to Tasawa — Alarming 
Letter — Dr. Barth rejoins Dr. Overweg at Tasawa — Dr. Barth answers 
the Letter — Arrives at Katsena — Visits the Governor — Journey from 
Katsena to Kano. 

Friday, January 10th, 1851. The important day had ar- 
rived when we were to separate not only from each other, but 
also from the old chief A'nnur, upon whom our fortunes had 
been dependent for so long a period. Having concealed his 
real intentions till the very last moment, he at length, with 
seeming reluctance, pretended that he was going first to Zin- 
der. He confided me, therefore, to the care of his brother 
Elaiji, a most amiable old man, only a year younger than him- 
self, but of a very different character, who was to take the lead 
of the salt-caravan to Kand ; and he promised me that I should 
arrive there in safety. 

I had been so fortunate as to secure for myself, as far as that 
place, the services of Gajere, who was settled in Tagelel, where 
he was regarded as A'nnur's chief slave or overseer ("baba- 
n-bawa"). This man I hired, together with a mare of his, 
for myself, and a very fine pack-ox for that part of my lug- 
gage which my faithful camel, the Bu-Sefi, was unable to carry. 
A'nnur, I must say, behaved excellently toward me in this mat- 
ter ; for, having called me and Gajere into his presence, he 
presented his trusty servant, before all the people, with a red 
bernus, on my account, enjoining him in the strictest terms to 
see me safe to Kand. 
12 



134 ta'gelel. * 

And so I separated from our worthy old friend with deep 
and sincere regret. 

But to return to Tagelel. When I shook hands with the 
" sdfo " he was sitting, like a patriarch of old, in the midst of 
his slaves and free men, male and female, and was dividing 
among them presents, such as shawls and turkedies, but prin- 
cipally painted arm-rings of clay, imported from Egypt, and 
of which the women of these districts are passionately fond. 
Mr. Richardson being ready to start, I took a hearty farewell 
of him, fixing our next place of meeting in Kiikawa, about 
the first of April. He was tolerably well at the time, although 
he had shown evident symptoms of being greatly affected by 
the change from the fine fresh air of the mountainous district 
of Air to the sultry climate of the fertile lands of iNegroland ; 
and he was quite incapable of bearing the heat of the sun, for 
which reason he always carried an umbrella, instead of accus- 
toming himself to it by degrees. Overweg and I remained 
together for two or three days longer. 

I felt happy in the extreme when I found myself once more 
on horseback, however deficient in beauty my little mare might 
be ; for few energetic Europeans, I think, will relish travelling 
for any length of time on camel's back, as they are far too de- 
pendent on the caprice of the animal. We set out at half 
past seven o'clock, and soon passed on our right a village, and 
then a second one, which I think was Dakari, where a noble 
lady of handsome figure, and well mounted upon a bul- 
lock, joined the caravan. She was seated in a most comfort- 
able large chair, which was fastened on the bullock's back. We 
afterward passed on our right the town of Olalowa, situated on 
a low range of hills. In the lower plain into which we next 
descended I observed the first regular ant-hill. Small groups 
of corn-stacks, or rumbiis, farther on, dotted a depression or 
hollow, which was encompassed on both sides with gently 
sloping hills. Here I had to leave the path of the caravan 
with my new companion Gajere, who was riding the bullock, 
in order to water our two beasts, a duty which now demanded 
our chief attention every day. 



gozena'kko. 135 

[No incident of importance occurred till the 14th of Jan- 
uary, when Dr. Barth parted with his friend and companion, 
Br. Overweg.] 

It was near Chirak that Overweg, who had determined to 
go directly to Tasawa, in order to commence his intended ex- 
cursion to Gober and Maradi, separated from me. This was, 
indeed, quite a gallant commencement of his undertaking, as 
he had none of A'nnur's people with him, and, besides Ibra- 
him and the useful, snake-like Amankay (who had recovered 
from his Guinea-worm), his only companion was a Tebu who 
had long been settled in A'sben, and whom he had engaged 
for the length of his intended trip. At that time he had still 
the firm intention to go to Kiikawa by way of Kand, and 
begged me to leave his things there. He was in excellent 
health, and full of an enthusiastic desire to devote himself to 
the study of the new world which opened before us ; and we 
parted with a hearty wish for each other's success in our dif- 
ferent quarters before we were to meet again in the capital of 
Bdrnu, for we did not then know that we should have an inter- 
view in Tasawa. 

I now went on alone, but felt not at all depressed by soli- 
tude, as I had been accustomed from my youth to wander 
about by myself among strange people. I felt disposed, indeed, 
to enter into a close connection with my black friend Gajere, 
who was very communicative, but oftentimes rather rude, and 
unable to refrain from occasionally mocking the stranger who 
wanted to know everything, and would not acknowledge Mo- 
hammed in all his prophetic glory. 

Thus we reached Gozenakko. Scarcely had our people 
made themselves comfortable, when their appetite was excited 
by a various assortment of the delicacies of the country, cla- 
morously offered for sale by crowds of women from the village. 

Wednesday, January 15th. At the very dawn of day, to 
my great astonishment, I was called out of the tent by Mo- 
hammed, who told me that Farraji, Liisu's man, our compa- 
nion from Ghat, had suddenly arrived from Zinder with three 
or four Bornu horsemen, and had express orders with regard 



136 ALARMING LETTER. 

to me. However, when I went out to salute him, he said 
nothing of his errand, but simply told me that he wanted first 
to speak to Elaiji, the chief of the caravan. I therefore went 
to the latter myself to know what was the matter, and learned 
from the old man that, though he was not able to make out all 
the terms of the letters of which Farraji was the bearer, one 
of which was written by the sherif and the other by Liisu, he 
yet understood that the horsemen had come with no other pur- 
pose but to take myself and Overweg to Zinder, without consult- 
ing our wishes, and that the sherif as well as Liisu had in- 
structed him to send us off in company with these fellows, but 
that they had also a letter for A'nnur, who ought to be con- 
sulted. As for himself, the old man (well aware of the real 
state of affairs, and that the averment of a letter having ar- 
rived from the consul at Tripoli to the effect that, till further 
measures were taken with regard to our recent losses, we ought 
to stay in Bdrnu, was a mere sham and fabrication) declared 
that he would not force us to do anything against our inclina- 
tion, but that we ought to decide ourselves what was best to 
be done. 

Having, therefore, a double reason for going to Tasawa, a 
few miles west of Gozenakko, I set out as early as possible, 
accompanied by my faithless, wanton Tunisian shushan, and 
by my faithful, sedate Tagelali overseer. After two miles 
more we reached the suburbs, and, crossing them, kept along 
the outer ditch which runs round the stockade of the town, in 
order to reach Al Wali's house, under whose special protec- 
tion I knew that Mr. Overweg had placed himself. 

My friend's quarters, into which we were shown, were very 
comfortable, although rather narrow. They consisted of a 
court-yard, fenced with mats made of reeds, and containing a 
large shed or " runfa," likewise built of mats and stalks, and a 
tolerably spacious hut, the walls built of clay ("bango"), but 
with a thatched roof (" shibki "). The inner part of it was 
guarded by a cross- wall from the prying of indiscreet eyes. 

Overweg was not a little surprised on hearing the recent 
news ; and we sent for El Wakhshi, our Ghadamsi friend from 



LETTER TO THE SHERl'F EL FA'si. 137 

Tin-teggana, in order to consult him, as one who had long re- 
Bided in these countries, and who, we had reason to hope, would 
be uninfluenced by personal considerations. He firmly pro- 
nounced his opinion that we ought not to go. 

We were still considering the question, when we were in- 
formed that our old protector, the chief A'nnur, had just 
arrived from Zinder, and I immediately determined to go to 
see him in his own domain at Nachira, situated at a little more 
than a mile N. E. from Tasawa. 

[A'nnur advised them to act freely, and according to the 
best of their knowledge.] 

Thursday, January \Uh. We still encamped near Goze- 
nakko, and I was busy studying Temasbight, after which I 
once more went over the letter of the sherif El Fasi, H;'j 
Beshir's agent in Zinder ; and having become fully aware of 
the dictatorial manner in which he had requested Elaiji to for- 
ward myself and Mr. Overweg to him (just as a piece of mer- 
chandise) without asking our consent, I sat down to write him a 
suitable answer, assuring him that, as I was desirous of paying 
my respects to the son of Mohammed el Kanemi and his en- 
lightened! vizier, I would set out for their residence as soon as 
I had settled my affairs in Kand, and that I was sure of at- 
taining my ends without his intervention, as I had not the least 
desire to visit him. 

This letter, as subsequent events proved, grew into import- 
ance, for the sherif, being perplexed by its tone, sent it straight 
on to Kiikawa, where it served to introduce me at once to the 
sheikh and his vizier. But the difficulty was to send it off with 
the warlike messengers who had brought the sherif's letters, as 
they would not go without us, and swore that their orders, 
from the sherif as well as from Serk' Tbram, were so peremp- 
tory that they should be utterly disgraced if they returned 
empty-handed. At length, after a violent dispute with Far- 
raji and these warlike-looking horsemen, the old chief, who 
took my part very fairly, finished the matter by plainly stating 
that if we ourselves, of our own free will, wanted to go, we 
might do so ; but if we did not wish to go, instead of forcing 
12* 



138 COUNTING SHELLS. 

us, he would defend us against anybody who should dare to 
offer us violence. Nevertheless, the messengers would not 
depart, and it seemed impossible to get rid of them till I made 
each of them' a present of two mithkals, when they mounted 
their horses with a very bad grace, and went off with my letter. 
The energetic and straightforward, but penurious old chief 
left us in the afternoon, and rode to Kalgo, a village at no 
great distance. 

Friday, January V\th. Still another day of halt, in order, 
as I was told, to allow Haj 'Abdiiwa's salt-caravan to come 
up and join us. Being tired of the camp, I once more went 
into the town to spend my day usefully and pleasantly ; leaving 
all my people behind, I was accompanied by some of my fellow- 
travellers of the caravan. Arriving at Overweg's quarters, 
what was my surprise to find Farraji not yet gone, but en- 
deavoring to persuade my companion, with all the arts of his 
barbarous eloquence, that, though I should not go, he at least 
might, in which case he would be amply rewarded with the 
many fine things which had been prepared in Zinder for our 
reception. The poor fellow was greatly cast down when he 
saw me, and soon made off in very bad humor, while I went 
with Mr. Over weg to El Wakhshi, who was just occupied in 
that most tedious of all commercial transactions in these coun- 
tries, namely, the counting of shells ; for in all these inland 
countries of Central Africa the cowries or kurdi (Cyproea 
moneta) are not, as is customary in some regions near the 
coast, fastened together in strings of one hundred each, but are 
separate, and must be counted one by one. Even those "tak- 
rufa'' (or sacks made of rushes) containing 20,000 kurdi each, 
as the governors of the towns are in the habit of packing them 
up, no private individual will receive without counting them 
out. The general custom in so doing is to count them by 
fives, in which operation some are very expert, and then, ac- 
cording to the amount of the sum, to form heaps of two hun- 
dred (or ten hawiyas) or a thousand each. We at length suc- 
ceeded, with the help of some five or six other people, in the 
really heroic work of counting 500,000 shells. 



ka'tsena. 139 

Saturday, January ISth. We made a good start with our 
camels, which, having been treated to a considerable allowance 
of salt on the first day of our halt, had made the best possible 
use of these four days' rest to recruit their strength. At the 
considerable village of Kalgo, which we passed at a little less 
than five miles beyond our encampment, the country became 
rather hilly, but only for a short distance. 

[The journey to Katsena lasted till the 21st of January, when 
the party encamped about two miles from that town.] 

While we were pitching my tent, which was the only one in 
the whole encampment, the sultan or governor of Katsena came 
out with a numerous retinue of horsemen, all well dressed and 
mounted ; and having learned from Elaiji that I was a Chris- 
tian traveller belonging to a mission (a fact, however, which 
he knew long before), he sent me soon afterward a ram and two 
large calabashes or diimmas filled with honey — an honor which 
was rather disagreeable to me than otherwise, as it placed me 
under the necessity of making the governor a considerable pre- 
sent in return. I had no article of value with me, and I began 
to feel some unpleasant forebodings of future difficulties. 

Being rather uneasy with regard to the intention of the gov- 
ernor of the province, I went early the next morning to Elaiji ? 
and assured him that, besides some small things, such as razors, 
cloves, and frankincense, I possessed only two red caps to give 
to the governor, and that I could not afford to contract more 
debts by buying a bernus. The good old man was himself 
aware of the governor's intention, who, he told me, had made 
up his mind to get a large present from me, otherwise he would 
not allow me to continue my journey. I wanted to visit the 
town, but was prevented from doing so under these circum- 
stances, and therefore remained in the encampment. 

Afterward I was visited by El Wakhshi, and paid him, in 
return, a visit at that part of the encampment where some of 
his merchandise was deposited, for he himself was living in the 
town. Here he introduced to me a person who was very soon 
to become one of my direst tormenters, the bare remembrance 
of whom is even now unpleasant ; it was the hnj Bel-Ghet, a 



140 MOHAMMED BE'lLO YERI'MA. 

man bom in Tawat, but who had long been settled in Katsena, 
and though not with the title, yet in reality holding the office 
of " a serki-n-turawa." 

Thursday, January 23c?. Having assorted such a present 
as I could afford, I protested once more to Elafji that, my other 
luggage having gone on in advance to Kano, I had but very 
little to offer to the governor. 

I went about noon with my protector and a great number of 
A'sbenawa to offer the governor my compliments and my pre- 
sent. Sitting down under a tree at a considerable distance 
from the spot where he himself was seated, we waited a little, 
till we should be called into his presence, when his brother, who 
held the office of ghaladima, came to us — a man of immense 
corpulency, resembling a eunuch. Indeed, nothing but the cut 
of his face, his aquiline nose, and rather light color, and the 
little goatlike beard which ornamented his chin, could expose 
him to the suspicion of being a Piillo or Ba-Fellanchi. He 
wanted to treat my business apart from that of Elaiji, who, 
however, declared that he had come only for my sake. While 
the fat ghaladima was returning to inform his brother of what 
he had heard, a troop of well-mounted Kel-esarar (who, as I 
was told, are settled at present in the province of Katsena) 
came up at full speed. It was not long before a servant came 
from the serki, inviting me alone into his presence. 

Mohammed Bello Yerima, the eldest son of the former well- 
known Governor M'allera Ghomaro, was seated under a wide- 
spreading and luxuriant tamarind-tree, dressed simply in a large 
white shirt, with a black rawani round his face. The A'sbe- 
nawa, who formed a large semicircle around him, were dressed 
most gaudily. Stepping into the opening of the semicircle, I 
saluted the governor, telling him that as I and my companions 
had lost, on the border of A/sben, almost all the valuable pro- 
perty we had brought with us, and as the few things left to me 
had gone on to Kano, he ought to excuse me for being unable, 
at the present moment, to offer him a present worthy of his 
high position ; that it was my desire to go on without delay to 
Kano, in order to settle my affairs, and to proceed to Bdrnu, 



THE PRESENT. 141 

where we expected to receive fresh supplies, after which one 
of our party certainly would go to Sokoto, in order to pay our 
respects to the Emir el Miimenin. The governor answered my 
address with much apparent kindness, telling me that I was now 
in his "imana," or under his protection, and that he had no 
other purpose but to do what would be conducive to my ad- 
vantage. He then asked the news of my companions, though 
he knew all about them, and did not appear to take the least 
offence at Mr. Overweg's going to Maradi, although the people 
and the ruler of that place were his most inveterate enemies. 
But things must not be looked upon here as they would be in 
Europe ; for here people are accustomed to see strangers from 
the north pay visits to all sorts of princes, whatever may be 
.their policy. However, while he spoke in rather friendly terms 
to me, and while my presents were received thankfully by the 
servants, he declared to the people who were sitting near him 
that, as the ruler of Bomu had laid hold of one of my com- 
panions, and that of Maradi of the other, he should be a fool 
if he were to let me pass out of his hands. I therefore took 
leave of him with no very light heart. . 

My present consisted of two fine red caps, a piece of printed 
calico which I had bought in Murzuk for four Spanish dollars, 
but which was of a pattern not much liked in Sudan, an Eng- 
lish razor and scissors, one pound of cloves, another of frank- 
incense, a piece of fine soap, and a packet of English needles. 
Though it certainly was not a very brilliant present, yet, con- 
sidering that I did not want anything from him, it was quite 
enough ; but the fact was that he wanted something more from 
me, and therefore it was not sufficient. 

[By the intrigues of Bel-Ghet, and the rapacity of the gov- 
ernor, Dr. Barth was detained in Katsena till the 29th of 
January. Having at last conciliated Bel-Ghet, he was per- 
mitted to pursue his journey. He thus describes the parting 
interview with the governor.] 

The next morning, January 29th, therefore, I proceeded with 
Bel-Ghet, to whose swollen eye I had successfully applied a 
lotion, and whose greediness I had satisfied with another small 



142 INTERVIEW WITH Be'lLO. 

present, on the way to the " zinsere." He wished to show me 
the interior of the immense palace or the " fada ;" but he could 
not obtain access to it, and I did not see it till on my second 
visit to Katsena. 

Bello received me in his private apartment, and detained me 
for full two hours, while I gave him complete information about 
the use of the medicines. He wanted, besides, two things 
from me, which I could not favor him with — things of very 
different character, and the most desired by all the princes of 
Negroland. One of these was a "magani-n-alguwa" (a 
medicine to increase his conjugal vigor) ; the other, some 
rockets, as a " magani-n-yaki" (a medicine of war), in order 
to frighten his enemies. 

Not being able to comply with these two modest wishes of 
his, I had great difficulty in convincing him of my good will ; 
and he remained incredulous to my protestations that we had 
intentionally not taken such things as rockets with us, as we 
were afraid that, if we gave such a thing to one prince, his 
neighbor might become fiercely hostile to us. But he remarked 
that he would keep such a gift a secret. I was very glad he 
did not say a word more about the pistols ; but in order to 
give me a proof that he knew how to value fine things, he 
showed me the scissors and razor which I had given him the 
other day, for which he had got a sheath made, and wore them 
constantly at his left side. He then told me he would make 
me a present of an " abi-n-hawa" (something to mount upon), 
intimating already by this expression that it would not be a 
first-rate horse, as I had not complied with his heart's desire, 
but that it would be furnished with saddle and harness, and 
that, besides, he would send me a large " hakkori-n-giwa" (an 
elephant's tooth) to Kand. This latter offer I declined, saying 
that, though my means were very small at present, I did not 
like to turn merchant. He reminded me then of my promise 
to return, and we parted the best of friends. Notwithstanding 
the injustice of every kind which he daily commits, he has some 
sentiment of honor; and feeling rather ashamed for having 
given me so much trouble for nothing, as he was aware that it 



RETURN HOME. 143 

would become known to his fellow-governors, and probably 
even to his liege lord, the Einir el Mumenin, he was anxious to 
vindicate his reputation. It was from the same motive that he 
begged me most urgently not to tell any body that I had made 
him the presents here, adding that he would afterward say that 
he had received them from me from Kand. 

Having returned home, I thankfully received the compli- 
ments which were made me from different quarters on account 
of the fortunate issue of my affair with this "munafeki," or 
evil-doer ; and although the horse, which was not brought till 
next morning, after we had been waiting for it a long while, 
proved rather ill-looking and poor, being scarcely worth more 
than ten thousand kurdi, or four dollars, and though the saddle 
was broken and harness wanting altogether, I was quite con- 
tent, and exulted in my good fortune. 

Thursday, January 30th. I was extremely glad when, after 
a long delay — for we had been obliged to wait more than an 
hour for the poor nag presented to me by the governor — we 
reached the southeastern gate of the town, the " kdfa-n-Kaura." 
It was as if I had just escaped from a prison, and I drew my 
breath deeply as I inhaled the fresh air outside the wall. I 
should have carried with me a very unfavorable impression of 
Katsena if it had not been my destiny to visit this place again 
under more favorable circumstances ; and I should have obtained 
a very false idea of the character of the Fiilbe if, from the 
little experience which I had acquired in this place, I had 
formed a definitive judgment of them. 

On the southern side of the town there is at present no culti- 
vated ground, but the whole country is in a wild state, covered 
with brushwood. What we saw also of the traffic on the path 
seemed to be not of a very peaceable kind ; for we met nothing 
but armed foot and horsemen, hastening to Katsena on the news 
of the expedition in course of preparation by the people of 
Maradi. But farther on, the aspect of the country became a 
little more peaceful ; and after a march of three miles we passed 
a well, where the women from a neighboring village were 
offering for sale the common vegetables of the country, such as 



144 PROSPECT OF THE COUNTRY. 

gowaza or yams, dankali or sweet potatoes, kuka, the leaves 
of the monkey bread-tree, dodowa or the vegetable cakes men- 
tioned above, ground-nuts, beans, and sour milk. Neverthe- 
less, the whole country, with its few fortified villages, its little 
cultivation, and the thick forests which separated the villages 
one from another, left the impression of a very unsettled and 
precarious existence. 

A little before four o'clock in the afternoon we encamped 
close to a village called Shibdawa, the celebrated town of 
Daura being distant two days' march. 

Friday, January Slst. It was a most beautiful morning, and 
I indulged in the feeling of unbounded liberty, and in the tran- 
quil enjoyment of the beautiful aspect of God's creation. The 
country through which we passed on leaving Shibdawa formed 
one of the finest landscapes I ever saw in my life. The ground 
was pleasantly undulating, covered with a profusion of herbage 
not yet entirely dried up by the sun's power ; the trees, belong- 
ing to a great variety of species, were not thrown together into 
an impenetrable thicket of the forest, but formed into beautiful 
groups, exhibiting all the advantage of light and shade. 

Saturday, February 1st. After a march of about two miles 
and a half, over clayey ground greatly broken up by the rains, 
we reached the 1ST. W. corner of the considerable town Kusada, 
and continued along its western wall, where a group of very 
tall and majestic rimis (Bombax or Eriodendron Guineense), 
though at present leafless, formed a most conspicuous object. 
It is very singular and highly characteristic that this tree (the 
bentang-tree of Mungo Park) generally grows near the principal 
gate of the large towns in Hausa, while otherwise it is not fre- 
quent, at least not the large, full-grown specimens ; and it is 
not improbable that the natives purposely planted them in those 
places as a kind of waymark ; or perhaps it may be a remnant 
of their pagan customs, this tree being deemed holy by several 
pagan tribes. It is almost incredible at what an immense dis- 
tance these stupendous trees, the tallest of the vegetable king- 
dom, may be seen. 

Kusada is a town of importance, and is very little less than 



THE VILLAGE GU'rZO. 145 

Gazawa, though not so thickly inhabited. The wall of the 
town is in tolerably good repair, and the interior is rich in 
trees, making it look very cheerful and comfortable. Most of 
the huts consist of clay walls, with a thatched roof, which is 
certainly the mode of architecture best adapted to the climate 
and the whole nature of the country. 

We encamped early in the afternoon near the village Giirzo, 
separated from it only by a dell laid out in small garden-fields 
with wheat and onions, and obtained a good supply of the 
latter, but nothing else. In the night a thief almost succeeded 
in carrying off some of our luggage, but had to run very hard 
for his life. 

Early the next morning we started with an enthusiastic im- 
pulse, in order to reach before night the celebrated emporium 
of Central Negroland. Kand, indeed, is a name which excites 
enthusiasm in every traveller in these regions, from whatever 
quarter he may come, but principally if he arrives from the 
north. We thus started in the twilight, passing in the bush 
some herds of cattle remaining out in the pasture-grounds, and 
meeting several troops of travellers, which made us fancy the 
capital to be nearer than it really was. We listened to the 
tales of our comely and cheerful companion, the " baba-n-bawa" 
of Tagelel, who detailed to us the wonders of this African 
London, Birmingham, and Manchester — the vastness of the 
town, the palace and retinue of the governor, the immense 
multitudes assembled every day in its market-place, the splendor 
and richness of the merchandise exposed there for sale, the 
various delicacies of the table, the beauty and gracefulness of 
its ladies. At times my fiery Tunisian mulatto shouted out 
from mere anticipation of the pleasures which awaited him. 

About half past one in the afternoon we entered the rich 
district of Dawano, which almost exclusively belongs to the 
wealthy Dan Malia, and is chiefly inhabited by Fellani. There 
was here a large market-place, consisting of several rows of 
well-built sheds, and frequented by numbers of people. A few 
market-women attached themselves to our little troop, giving 
us assurance that we should be able to reach the "birni" 
13 



146 ARRIVAL AT KANO'. 

( 

to-day, but then added that we ought to arrive at the outer 
gate before sunset, as it is shut at that time. 

We accordingly pressed on with our varied little caravan, 
consisting of a very lean black horse, covered with coarse wool- 
like hair, worth four dollars, or perhaps less ; a mare, scarcely 
worth more in its present condition ; a camel, my faithful Bii- 
Sefi, evidently the most respectable four-footed member of the 
troop, carrying a very awkward load, representing my whole 
travelling household, with writing-table and bedding-boards ; 
a sumpter-ox, heavily laden ; then the four human bipeds to 
match, viz., one half-barbarized European, one half-civilized 
Gdberawi Tunisian mulatto, a young lean Tebu lad, and my 
stout, sturdy, and grave overseer from Tagelel. As we then 
entered some fields of sesamum, or " ndme" (quite a new sight 
for me in this country, but which was soon to become of very 
common occurrence), Gajere descried in the distance between 
the trees the top of the hill Dala, and we all strained our eyes 
to get a first glimpse of this hill, which is the real landmark 
of Kano ; but nothing was as yet visible of the town, and we 
had but faint hopes of reaching it before sunset. However, 
we went on, though a little disheartened, as we had some fore- 
boding that we should incur the displeasure of the governor ; 
and passing through the gate, in front of which part of the 
a'iri were encamped, without stopping, as if we were natives 
of the country, went on across open fields. It took us forty 
minutes to reach the house of Bawu from the gate, though this 
lies near the very outskirts of Dala, the northernmost quarter 
of the town. 

It was quite dark, and we had some trouble in taking posses- 
sion of the quarters assigned to us by our host. 

Kand had been sounding in my ears now for more than a 
year ; it had been one of the great objects of our journey as 
the central point of commerce, as a great store-house of infor- 
mation, and as the point whence more distant regions might 
be most successfully attempted. At length, after nearly a year's 
exertions, I had reached it. 



RESIDENCE IN KANO'. 149 



CHAPTER X. 

Residence in Kano — Finances — Appearance of the Streets of Kan6, and 
the People — Visit to the Governor — Presents — Population, Manufac- 
tures, and Commerce of Kano. Its Army, Finances, and Government 
— Journey from Kano the capital of Hausa to Bornu — Dr. Barth hears 
of Mr. Richardson's Death, and visits his Grave — Dr. Barth arrives at 
Ktikawa, the capital of the empire of Bornu. 

Kano' for us was a station of importance, not only from a 
scientific, but also from an economical point of view. Instead 
of being provided with ready cash, we had received in Murzuk, 
on account of the British government, merchandise which, we 
had been assured, would not only be safer than money, but 
would also prove more advantageous for us. In consequence 
of the heavy extortions to which we were subjected on the road 
to Air, and of our long delay in that country, we had been 
deprived of the small articles which we carried for barter, 
so that we were entirely thrown upon the merchandise which 
we had forwarded in advance from Tinteggana ; and I, for my 
part, on my arrival in Kano, had to liquidate a debt of not less 
than 112,300 kurdi, viz., 55,000 for the carriage of this very 
merchandise from Tinteggana to Kano ; 8300 as my share of 
the presents or passage-money given on the road; 18,000 to 
Gajere, as hire for the mare and bullock ; and 31,000 to a man 
of the name of Ha] el Dawaki, on account of Abii-Bakr el 
Wakhshi, for the articles bought from him in Katsena, in order 
to satisfy the governor of that place. Besides, I was aware 
that I had to make a considerable present to the Governor of 
Kano ; and I was most desirous to discharge Mohammed e' 
Tiinsi, whom I had discovered to be utterly useless in these 
countries, and who, besides his insupportable insolence, might 
bring me into trouble by his inconsiderate and frivolous conduct. 

I o 



150 FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES. 

These were material calls upon my incumbered property. 
On my mind, too, there were claims of a not less serious char- 
acter ; for, from my very outset from Europe, I had steadily 
fixed my eyes upon that eastern branch of the Kwara, or so- 
called Niger, which Laird, Allen, and Oldfield had navigated 
for the distance of some eighty miles, and which the former 
(although he himself did not penetrate farther than Fanda) 
had, with reasons decisive in my eyes, concluded to have no 
communication whatever with Lake Tsad, but to proceed from 
another and very different quarter. 

For all these reasons, nothing could be more disagreeable 
and disheartening to me, though I was not quite unprepared 
for it, than the information which I received the very evening 
of my arrival in Kano, that the price of merchandise such as 
I had was very low. In the next place, I soon found that 
Bawu, Mr. Gagliuffi's agent, whom, in compliance with his 
recommendation, we had made also our commissioner, was not 
to be implicitly relied on. 

It will scarcely be believed that this man, although he had 
two camel-loads of goods of mine in his hands, yet left me 
without a single shell, " ko uri guda," for a whole fortnight, 
so that I was glad to borrow two thousand kurdi, less than an 
Austrian dollar, from Mohammed e' Sfaksi, in order to defray 
the most necessary expenses of my household. 

Besides, this agent urged the absolute necessity of making 
a considerable present not only to the governor, which I was 
quite prepared to do, but another of nearly the same value to 
the galadima or first minister, who happened to be the govern- 
or's brother, and enjoyed quite as much authority and influ- 
ence. The consequence was, that I was obliged to give away 
the few articles of value in my possession merely for being tole- 
rated and protected. The second day after my arrival the 
governor received a message from Mr. Richardson, forwarded 
from Zinder, intimating that, after he should have received new 
supplies from the coast, he would not fail to come to Kano ; 
whereupon he sent me word that I had done very wrong to 
enter his town without giving him previous information, 



ATTACK OF FEVER. 151 

whereas my countryman had already forwarded a notice that 
at some future period he was likely to pay him a visit. Be- 
sides, concluding from the fact that I was not mentioned at all 
in that letter that I was travelling on my own account, he 
made also greater pretensions with regard to a present. 

Being lodged in dark, uncomfortable, and cheerless quar- 
ters, which I was forbidden to leave before the governor had 
seen me, destitute of a single farthing in cash, while I was 
daily called upon and pestered by my numerous creditors, and 
laughed at on account of my poverty by an insolent servant, 
my readers may fancy that my situation in the great, far-famed 
entrepot of Central Africa, the name of which had excited my 
imagination for so long a time, was far from agreeable. Partly 
from anxiety, partly from want of exercise, in the course of a 
few days I had a very severe attack of fever, which reduced 
me to a state of great weakness. Fortunately, however, I 
mustered sufficient strength to avail myself of a summons 
which called me at length into the presence of the governor, 
on the 18th of February ; and, by sacrificing what few things 
remained to me, I paved the road for my further proceedings, 
while the degree of exertion which was necessary to undergo 
the fatigue of my visit carried me over my weakness, and re- 
stored me gradually to health. The distances in Kan6, though 
less than those of London, are very great ; and the ceremonies 
to be gone through are scarcely less tedious than those at any 
European court. 

Clothing myself as warmly as possible in my Tunisian dress, 
and wearing over it a white tobe and a white berniis, I mounted 
my poor black nag, and followed my three mediators and ad- 
vocates. These were Bawu, Elaiji, and Sidi 'AIL 

It was a very fine morning, and the whole scenery of the 
town, in its great variety of clay houses, huts, sheds, green 
open places affording pasture for oxen, horses, camels, don- 
keys, and goats, in motley confusion, the people in all varieties 
of costume, from the naked slave up to the most gaudily 
dressed Arab, all formed a most animated and exciting scene. 
As far as the market-place I had already proceeded on foot ; 



152 INTERIOR OF KANO'. 

but Bawu, as soon as he saw me, had hurried me back to my 
lodgings, as having not yet been formally received by the 
governor. But no one on foot can get a correct idea of an 
African town, confined as he often is on every side by the 
fences and walls, while on horseback he obtains an insight into 
all the court-yards, becomes an eye-witness of scenes of private 
life, and often with one glance surveys a whole town. 

Passing through the market-place, which had only begun to 
collect its crowds, and crossing the narrow neck of land which 
divides the characteristic pool " Jakara," we entered the quar- 
ters of the ruling race, the Fiilbe or Fellani, where conical 
huts of thatch-work and the gdnda-tree are prevalent, and 
where most beautiful and lively pictures of nature meet the 
eye on all sides. Thus we proceeded, first to the house of 
the gado (the lord of the treasury), who had already called 
several times at my house, and acted as the mediator between 
myself and the governor. 

His house was a most interesting specimen of the domestic 
arrangements of the Fiilbe, who, however civilized they may 
have become, do not disown their original character as "ber- 
rordji," or nomadic cattle-breeders. His court-yard, though 
in the middle of the town, looked like a farm-yard, and could 
not be conscientiously commended for its cleanliness. Having 
with difficulty found a small spot to sit down upon without 
much danger of soiling our clothes, we had to wait patiently 
till his excellency had examined and approved of the presents. 
Having manifested his satisfaction with them by appropriating 
to himself a very handsome large gilt cup, which with great 
risk I had carried safely through the desert, he accompanied 
us to the "fada, " "lamorde," or palace, which forms a real 
labyrinth of court-yards, provided with spacious round huts 
of audience, built of clay, with a door on each side, and con- 
nected together by narrow intricate passages. Hundreds of 
lazy, arrogant courtiers, freemen, and slaves were lounging 
and idling here, killing time with trivial and saucy jokes. 

We were first conducted to the audience-hall of the ghala- 
dima, who, while living in a separate palace, visits the "f<ida" 



PRESENTATION CEREMONIES. 153 

almost every day, in order to act in his important and influen- 
tial office as vizier. The governor was then eight-and-thirty, 
the ghaladima seven-and-thirty years of age. They were both 
stout and handsome men, the governor rather too stout and 
clumsy. Their apartments were so excessively dark that, com- 
ing from a sunny place, it was some time before I could distin- 
guish anybody. The governor's hall was very handsome, and 
even stately for this country, and was the more imposing as 
the rafters supporting the very elevated ceiling were concealed ; 
two lofty arches of clay, very neatly polished and ornamented, 
appearing to support the whole. At the bottom of the apart- 
ment were two spacious and highly-decorated niches, in one of 
which the governor was reposing on a "gado," spread with a 
carpet. His dress was not that of a simple " Pullo," but con- 
sisted of all the mixed finery of Hausa and Barbary ; he al- 
lowed his face to be seen, the white shawl hanging down far 
below his mouth over his breast. 

In both audiences (as well that with the "ghaladima " as 
with the governor) old Elaiji was the speaker, beginning his 
speech with a captatio benevolentice, founded on the heavy and 
numerous losses sustained on the road by myself and my compa- 
nions. Altogether, he performed his office very well, with the 
exception that he dwelt longer than was necessary on Over- 
weg's journey to Maradi, which certainly could not be a very 
agreeable topic to Ba-Fellanchi. Sidi 'Ali also displayed his 
eloquence in a very fair way. The ghaladima made some intel- 
ligent observations, while the governor only observed that, 
though I had suffered so severely from extortion, yet I seemed 
to have still ample presents for him. Nor was he far wrong ; 
for the black "kaba" (a sort of bernus, with silk and gold 
lace, which I gave him) was a very handsome garment, and 
here worth sixty thousand kurdi ; besides, he got a red cap, a 
white shawl with red border, a piece of white muslin, rose oil, 
one pound of cloves, and another of jawi or benzoin, razor, 
scissors, an English clasp-knife, and a large mirror of German 
silver. The ghaladima got the same presents, except that, 



154 STREET GROUPS. 

instead of the kaba, I gave hira a piece of French striped silk 
worth fifty thousand kurdi. 

Having now at length made my peace with the governor, 
and seeing that exercise of body and recreation of mind were 
the best medicines I could resort to, I mounted on horseback 
the next day again, and, guided by a lad well acquainted with 
the topography of the town, rode for several hours round all 
the inhabited quarters, enjoying at my leisure, from the saddle, 
the manifold scenes of public and private life, of comfort and 
happiness, of luxury and misery, of activity and laziness, of 
industry and indolence, which were exhibited in the streets, the 
market-places, and in the interior of the court-yards. It was 
the most animated picture of a little world in itself, so different 
in external form from all that is seen in European towns, yet 
so similar in its internal principles. 

Here a row of shops, filled with articles of native and 
foreign produce, with buyers and sellers in every variety of 
figure, complexion, and dress, yet all intent upon their little 
gain, endeavoring to cheat each other ; there a large shed, like 
a hurdle, full of half-naked, half-starved slaves, torn from their 
native homes, from their wives or husbands, from their children 
or parents, arranged in rows like cattle, and staring desperately 
upon the buyers, anxiously watching into whose hands it 
should be their destiny to fall. In another part were to be 
seen all the necessaries of life ; the wealthy buying the most 
palatable things for his table ; the poor stopping and looking 
greedily upon a handful of grain : here a rich governor, 
dressed in silk and gaudy clothes, mounted upon a spirited 
and richly-caparisoned horse, and followed by a host of idle, 
insolent slaves ; there a poor blind man groping his way through 
the multitude, and fearing at every step to be trodden down; 
here a yard neatly fenced with mats of reed, and provided 
with all the comforts which the country affords — a clean, snug- 
looking cottage, the clay walls nicely polished, a shutter of 
reeds placed against the low, well-rounded door, and for- 
bidding intrusion on the privacy of life, a cool shed for the 
daily household work — a fine spreading alleluba-tree, affording 



MOUNT dala'. 155 

a pleasant shade during the hottest hours of the day, or a 
beautiful gdnda or papaya unfolding its large, feather-like 
leaves above a slender, smooth, and undivided stem, or the 
tall date-tree, waving over the whole scene ; the matron, in a 
clean black cotton gown wound round her waist, her hair neatly 
dressed in " chokoli " or bejaji, busy preparing the meal for 
her absent husband, or spinning cotton, and, at the same time, 
urging the female slaves to pound the corn ; the children, naked 
and merry, playing about in the sand at the " urgi-n-dawaki" 
or the "da-n-chiicha," or chasing a straggling, stubborn goat; 
earthenware pots and wooden bowls, all cleanly washed, stand- 
ing in order. Farther on, a dashing Cyprian, homeless, com- 
fortless, and childless, but affecting merriment or forcing a 
wanton laugh, gaudily ornamented with numerous strings of 
beads round her neck, her hair fancifully dressed, and bound 
with a diadem, her gown of various colors loosely fastened 
under her luxuriant breast, and trailing behind in the sand ; 
near her a diseased wretch covered with ulcers or with ele- 
phantiasis. 

Delighted with my trip, and deeply impressed by the many 
curious and interesting scenes which had presented themselves 
to my eyes, I returned to my quarters, the gloominess and 
cheerlessness of which made the more painful impression upon 
me from its contrast with the brightly animated picture which 
I had just before enjoyed. 

The next day I made another long ride through the town, 
and, being tolerably well acquainted with the topography of 
the place and its different quarters, I enjoyed still more the 
charming view obtained from the top of the Dala, and of 
which' the accompanying sketch is but a feeble representation. 

I had considerable difficulty in arranging my pecuniary 
affairs, and felt really ashamed at being unable to pay my debt 
to the Haj el Dawaki till after Wakhshi himself had arrived 
from Katsena. After having sold, with difficulty, all that I 
possessed, having suffered a very heavy loss by Bawu's dis- 
honesty, paid my debts, and arranged my business with Mo- 
hammed el Tansi, who, suffering under a very severe attack of 



156 EXPORT OF COTTON. 

fever, wanted most eagerly to return home, I should scarcely 
have been able to make the necessary preparations for my 
journey to Bornu if the governor had not assisted me a little. 
He had hitherto behaved very shabbily toward me ; not a single 
dish, not a sheep or other token of his hospitality, having been 
sent me during my stay in the town. I was therefore most 
agreeably surprised when, on the morning of the 2d of March, 
old Elafji came and announced to me that, in consequence of 
his urgent remonstrances, the governor had sent me a present 
of sixty thousand kurdi. He told me, with a sort of pride, 
that he had severely reprimanded him, assuring him that he 
was the only prince who had not honored me. I should have 
been better pleased if the governor had sent me a pair of 
camels or a horse; but I was thankful for this unexpected 
supply ; and, giving six thousand to the officer who had brought 
the money, and as much to Elaiji, and dividing eight thousand 
between Bawu and Sidi 'Ali, I kept forty thousand for myself. 

With this present I was fortunately enabled to buy two 
camels instead of sumpter oxen, which give great trouble on 
the road during the dry season, and prepared everything for 
my journey. 

In estimating the population of the town of Kano at 30,000, 
I am certainly not above the truth. Captain Clapperton esti- 
mated it at from 30,000 to 40,000. 

The principal commerce of Kano consists in native produce, 
namely, the cotton cloth woven and dyed here or in the neigh* 
boring towns, in the form of tobes or rigona (sing, rfga) ; tiir- 
kedi, or the oblong piece of dress of dark-blue color worn by 
the women ; the zenne or plaid, of various colors ; and the 
rawani baki, or black litham. 

The great advantage of Kano is, that commerce and manu- 
factures go hand in hand, and that almost every family has its 
share in them. 

Besides the cloth produced and dyed in Kano and in the 
neighboring villages, there is a considerable commerce carried 
on here with the cloth manufactured in Ny'ffi or jSupe. The 



GUINEA-FOWL SHIRT. 



157 



tobes brought from Ny'ffi are either large black ones, or of 
mixed silk and cotton. 

With regard to the former, which are called "giwa" (the 
elephant's shirt), I am unable to say why the Kanawa are not 
capable of manufacturing them themselves ; but it seems that, 
while they thoroughly understand how to impart the most beau- 
tiful dye to the tiirkedi, they are unable to apply the same to 
the riga— I do not know why. 

Of the latter kind there are several varieties ; the riga saki, 
with small squares blue and white, as if speckled, and there- 
fore called by the Arabs " filfil " (pepper), and by the Tawarek, 
who esteem it more than any other kind, the " Guinea-fowl 
shirt " (tekatkat tailelt), as shown in the accompanying wood- 
cut, is very becoming, and was my ordinary dress from the 

















moment I was rich enough to purchase it, as a good one fetches 
as much as from eighteen to twenty thousand kurdi ; then the 
tob-harir, with stripes of speckled cast like the tailelt, but 
intermixed with red ; the jellaba, red and white ? with em- 
14 



158 SLAVES. 

broidery of green silk, and several others. Specimens of all 
these I have brought home and delivered to the Foreign Office. 

The chief articles of native industry, besides cloth, which 
have a wide market, are principally sandals. 

Besides these manufactures, the chief article of African pro- 
duce in the Kano market is the "guro," or kola-nut; but 
while, on the one hand, it forms an important article of transit, 
and brings considerable profit, on the other, large sums are 
expended by the natives upon this luxury, which has become to 
them as necessary as coffee or tea to us. The import of this 
nut into Kano, comprising certainly more than five hundred 
ass-loads every year, the load of each, if safely brought to the 
market — for it is a very delicate article, and very liable to spoil 
— being sold for about 200,000 kurdi, will amount to an ave- 
rage of from eighty to one hundred millions. Of this sum, I 
think we shall be correct in asserting about half to be paid for 
by the natives of the province, while the other half will be 
profit. 

But we must bear in mind that the greater part of the per- 
sons employed in this trade are Kanawa, and that therefore 
they and their families subsist upon this branch of trade. 

A very important branch of the native commerce in Kano is 
certainly the slave-trade ; but it is extremely difficult to say 
how many of these unfortunate creatures are exported, as a 
greater number are carried away by small caravans to Bdrnu 
and Niipe, than on the direct road to Ghat and Fezzan. Al- 
together, I do not think that the number of slaves annually ex- 
ported from Kand exceeds 5000 ; but, of course, a considerable 
number are sold into domestic slavery, either to the inhabitants 
of the province itself or to those of the adjoining districts. 
The value of this trade, of which only a small percentage falls 
to the profit of the Kanawa, besides the tax which is levied in 
the market, may altogether amount to from a hundred and fifty 
to two hundred millions of kurdi per annum. 

But I must here speak about a point of very great import- 
ance for the English, both as regards their honor and their 
commercial activity. The final opening of the lower course 



POPULATION. 159 

of the Kawara has been one of the most glorious achievements 
of English discovery, bought with the lives of so many enter- 
prising men. But it seems that the English are more apt to 
perform a great deed than to follow up its consequences. 
After they have opened this noble river to the knowledge of 
Europe, frightened by the sacrifice of a few lives, instead of 
using it themselves for the benefit of the nations of the interior, 
they have allowed it to fall into the hands of the American 
slave-dealers, who have opened a regular annual slave-trade 
with those very regions, while the English seem not to have 
even the slightest idea of such a traffic going on. Thus Ame- 
rican produce, brought in large quantities to the market of 
Nupe, has begun to inundate Central Africa, to the great 
damage of the commerce and the most unqualified scandal of 
the Arabs, who think that the English, if they would, could 
easily prevent it. For this is not a legitimate commerce ; it 
is nothing but slave-traffic on a large scale, the Americans 
taking nothing in return for their merchandise and their dollars 
but slaves, besides a small quantity of natron. On this pain- 
ful subject I have written repeatedly to H. M. 's consul in Tri- 
poli, and to H. M.'-s government, and I have spoken energeti- 
cally about it to Lord Palmerston since my return. I princi- 
pally regret in this respect the death of Mr. Richardson, who, 
in his eloquent language, would have dealt worthily with this 
question. But even from his unfinished journals as they have 
been published, it is clear that, during his short stay in the 
country before he was doomed to succumb, he became well 
aware of what was going on. 

The province of Kano, which comprises a very fertile dis- 
trict of considerable extent, contains, according to my compu- 
tation, more than two hundred thousand free people, besides 
at least an equal number of slaves, so that the whole popula- 
tion of the province amounts to more than half a million, 
though it may greatly exceed this number. The governor is 
able to raise an army of seven thousand horse, and more than 
twenty thousand men on foot. In the most flourishing state 



160 LEVYING OF TAXES. 

of the country, the Governor of Kano is said to have been 
able to bring into the field as many as ten thousand horse. 

The tribute which he levies is very large considering the 
state of the country, amounting altogether to about one hun- 
dred millions of kurdi* besides the presents received from 
merchants. The most considerable item of his revenue con- 
sists in the " kurdi-n-kasa " (which is called in Kaniiri " lar- 
deram "), or the ground-rent. It is said to amount to ninety 
millions, and is levied, both here and in the province of Kat- 
sena, not from the ground under cultivation, but every head 
of a family has to pay two thousand five hundred kurdi, or 
just a Spanish dollar ; in the province of Zegzeg, on the con- 
trary, the kurdi-n-kasa is a tax of five hundred kurdi levied on 
every fertana or hoe, and a single hoe will cultivate a piece of 
ground capable of producing from one hundred to two hun- 
dred " demmi " or sheaves of grain (sorghum and pennisetum), 
each of which contains two kel, while fifty kel are reckoned 
sufficient for a man's sustenance during a whole year. Besides 
the kurdi-n-kasa, the governor levies an annual tax called 
"kurdi-n-kordfi," of seven hundred kurdi on every dyeing-pot 
or korofi, of which there are more than two thousand in the 
town alone; a "fitto" of five hundred kurdi on every slave 
sold in the market; an annual tax, " kurdi-n-debino, " of six 
hundred kurdi on every palm-tree, and a small tax called 
" kurdi-n-rafi " on the vegetables sold in the market, such as 
dankali or sweet potatoes, gwaza or yams, risga, rogo, &c. 
This latter tax is very singular, as the meat, or the cattle 
brought into the town, as far as I know, does not pay any tax 
at all. Clapperton was mistaken in stating that all the date- 
trees in the town belong to the governor, which is not more 
true than that all the sheds in the market.belong to him. 

With regard to the government in general, I think, in this 
province, where there is so much lively intercourse, and where 
publicity is given very soon to every incident, it is not oppres- 
sive ; though the behavior of the ruling class is certainly 

* 100,000 kurdi is equal to $60. 



DEPARTURE FROM KANO'. 161 

haughty, and there is, no doubt, a great deal of injustice in- 
flicted in small matters. The etiquette of the court, which is 
far more strict than in Sokoto, must prevent any poor man 
from entering the presence of the governor. The Fiilbe marry 
the handsome daughters of the subjugated tribe, but would not 
condescend to give their own daughters to the men of that 
tribe as wives. As far as I saw, their original type has been 
well preserved as yet, though, by obtaining possession of 
wealth and comfort, their warlike character has been greatly 
impaired, and the Fellani-n-Kano have become notorious for 
their cowardice throughout the whole of Negroland. 

Sunday, March dth. The traveller who would leave a place 
where he has made a long residence often finds that his de- 
parture involves him in a great deal of trouble, and is by no 
means an easy affair. Moreover, my situation when, after 
much delay, I was about to leave Kand, was peculiarly embar- 
rassing. There was no caravan ; the road was infested by 
robbers ; and I had only one servant upon whom I could rely, 
pr who was really attached to me, while I had been so unwell 
the preceding day as to be unable to rise from my couch. 
However, I was full of confidence ; and with the same delight 
with which a bird springs forth from its cage, I hastened to 
escape from these narrow, dirty mud-walls into the boundless 
creation. 

There being scarcely any one to assist my faithful Gratrdni, 
the loading of my three camels took an immense time, and the 
horseman destined to accompany me to the frontier of the Kand 
territory grew rather impatient. At length, at about two 
o'clock in the afternoon, I mounted my unsightly black four 
dollar nag, and following my companion, who (in a showy 
dress, representing very nearly the German costume about the 
time of the Thirty Years' war, and well mounted) gave him- 
self all possible airs of dignity, started forth from the narrow 
streets of Dala into the open fields. 

The quiet course of domestic slavery has very little to offend 
the mind of the traveller ; the slave is generally well treated, is 
not over-worked, and is very often considered as a member of 
14 * 



162 DOMESTIC SLAVERY. 

the family. Scenes caused by the running away of a slave in 
consequence of bad and severe treatment occur every day with 
the Arabs, who generally sell their slaves, even those whom 
they have had some time, as soon as occasion offers; but with 
the natives they are very rare. However, I was surprised at 
observing so few home-born slaves in Negroland — with the ex- 
ception of the Tawarek, who seem to take great pains to rear 
slaves — and I have come to the conclusion that marriage among 
domestic slaves is very little encouraged by the natives ; in- 
deed, I think myself justified in supposing that a slave is very 
rarely allowed to marry. This is an important circumstance 
in considering domestic slavery in Central Africa ; for, if these 
domestic slaves do not of themselves maintain their numbers, 
then the deficiency arising from ordinary mortality must con- 
stantly be kept up by a new supply, which can only be obtained 
by kidnapping, or, more generally, by predatory incursions, and 
it is this necessity which makes even domestic slavery appear 
so baneful and pernicious. The motive for making these ob- 
servations in this place was the sight of a band of slaves whom 
we met this morning, led on in two files, and fastened one to 
the other by a strong rope round the neck. 

[Passing through Gezawa, Daka, and Gerki, Dr. Barth 
reached Gummel, the frontier town of the empire of Bornu, on 
the 13th of March. In this connection he says : — ] 

About two miles before we reached the frontier town of the 
Bornu empire in this direction, we were joined by the horse- 
man of the Governor of Gerki; and here we took leave of 
Hausa, with its fine and beautiful country, and its cheerful and 
industrious population. It is remarkable what a difference 
there is between the character of the ba-Haushe and the Kanuri 
, — the former lively, spirited, and cheerful, the latter melan- 
cholic, dejected, and brutal ; and the same difference is visible 
in their physiognomies — ^the former having in general very 
pleasant and regular features and more graceful forms, while 
the Kanuri, with his broad face, his wide nostrils, and his 
large bones, makes a far less agreeable impression, especially 
the women, who are very plain, and certainly among the ugliest 



TWO SPANISH DOLLARS ! 163 

in all Negrolarid, notwithstanding their coquetry, in which 
they do not yield at all to the Hausa women. 
[The following incident took place at Gunimel.] 
Saturday, March lhth. This was a most fortunate and 
lucky day for me ; for suddenly, when I least expected it, I 
was visited by an Arab from Sokna of the name of Mohammed 
el Mugharbi, who had just arrived with a little caravan of 
Swakena from Miirzuk, and brought me a considerable number 
of letters from friends in Tripoli, England, and Germany, after 
my having been deprived of news from them for ten months. 
The letters gave me great delight ; but, besides the letters, 
there was something with them which touched me more sensibly, 
by the providential way in which it supplied my most urgent 
wants. 

I was extremely short of cash, and having spent almost my 
whole supply of shells in fitting up my quarters, paying my 
guides, and discharging Makhmiid, who had proved quite unfit 
for service, I had very little left wherewith to provide for our 
wants on our long journey to Kiikawa. How surprised and 
delighted was I, then, on opening Mr. Gagliufn's letter, at the 
unexpected appearance of two Spanish dollars, which he for- 
warded to me in order to make good an error in my account 
with him. Two Spanish dollars ! it was the only current money 
I had at that time ; and they were certainly more valuable to 
me than so many hundreds of pounds at other times. How- 
ever, the rascal who brought me the letters had also merchan- 
dise, on the account of the mission, to the value of one hundred 
pounds ; but, either because he wished to deliver it to the 
director himself, or in order to obtain also the hire stipulated 
for him if he should be obliged to carry the merchandise on to 
Kukawa, he declared that the things had gone on in advance 
to Kano — an evident falsehood, which eventually caused us 
much unnecessary expense, and brought Mr. Overweg and 
myself into the greatest distress ; for I did not, in fact, receive 
this merchandise till after my return from Adamawa, having 
subsisted all the time upon " air and debts." 

Monday ) March 11th. Having taken a hearty leave of 'Abd 



164 ENTER BO'RNU PROPER. 

el Khaf if, I followed my camels and — my good luck. This was 
the first time on my journey that I travelled quite alone, and 
I felt very happy, though, of course, I should have been glad 
to have had one or two good servants. 

[Passing through several towns of minor importance, Dr. 
Barth, attended only by two young native guides and his ser- 
vants, reached Zurrikulo on the 23d of March. It was in the 
neighborhood of this place that he first heard of the death of 
Mr. Richardson, as related in the part of his journal which 
follows here.] 

I had now entered Bdrnu proper, the nucleus of that great 
Central African empire in its second stage, after Kanem had 
been given up. It is bordered toward the east by the great 
sea-like komadugu the Tsad or Tsade, and toward the west 
and north-west by the little komadugu which by the members 
of the last expedition has been called Yeou, from the town of 
that name, or rather Yd, near which they first made its 
acquaintance on their way from Fezzan. I had now left be- 
hind me those loosely-attached principalities which still pre- 
serve some sort of independence, and henceforth had only to 
do with Bdrnu officers. 

Not feeling very well, I remained in my tent without paying 
my compliments to the officer here stationed, whose name is 
Kashella S'aid, with whom I became acquainted on a later 
occasion ; but the good man being informed by the people that 
a stranger from a great distance, who was going to visit his 
liege lord, had entered his town, sent his people to welcome 
me, and regaled me with several bowls of very good paste, 
with fresh fish, and a bowl of milk. 

Zurrikulo was once a large town, and at the time of the 
inroad of Waday revolted from the sheikh, but was obliged to 
surrender to his brother 'Abd e' Rahman. Since then it has 
gradually been decaying, and is now half deserted. The neigh- 
borhood of the town is full of wild animals ; and great fear was 
entertained by my companions for our beasts, as we had no 
protection in our rear. The roaring of a lion was heard during 
the night. 



DEATH OF MR. RICHARDSON. 165 

Monday, March 21th. Next morning, when we resumed our 
march, the fan-palm for some time continued to be the prevail- 
ing tree ; but some kukas also, or Adansonia digitata, and 
other more leafy trees began to appear, and after a while a 
thick underwood sprung up. Then followed a few scattered, 
I might say forlorn, date-trees, which looked like strangers in 
the country, transplanted into this region by some accident. 
The sky was clear ; and I was leaning carelessly upon my little 
nag, musing on the original homes of all the plants which now 
adorn different countries, when I saw advancing toward us a 
strange-looking person of very fair complexion, richly dressed 
and armed, and accompanied by three men on horseback, like- 
wise armed with musket and pistols. Seeing that he was a 
person of consequence, I rode quickly up to him and saluted 
him, when he, measuring me with his eyes, halted, and asked 
me whether I was the Christian who was expected to arrive 
from Kand ; and on my answering him in the affirmative, he 
told me distinctly that my fellow-traveller Yakiib (Mr. Richard- 
son) had died before reaching Kukawa, and that all his pro- 
perty had been seized. Looking him full in the face, I told 
him that this, if true, was serious news ; and then he related 
some particulars, which left but little doubt as to the truth of 
his statement. When his name was asked, he called himself 
Isra'ail ; I learned, however, afterward, from other people, that 
he was the Sherif el Habib, a native of Morocco, and really 
of noble blood, a very learned but extremely passionate man, 
who, in consequence of a dispute with M'allem Mohammed, 
had been just driven out of Kukawa by the Sheikh of Bdrnu. 

This sad intelligence deeply affected me, as it involved not 
only the life of an individual, but the whole fate of the mission ; 
and though some room was left for doubt, yet, in the first mo- 
ment of excitement, I resolved to leave my two young men 
behind with the camels, and to hurry on alone on horseback. 
But Mohammed would not hear of this proposal ; and, indeed, 
as I certainly could not reach Kukawa in less than four days, 
and as part of the road was greatly infested by the Tawarek, 
such an attempt might have exposed me to a great deal of in- 



166 GRAVE OF MR. RICHARDSON. 

convenience. But we determined to go on as fast as the camels 
would allow us. We halted at eleven o'clock, shaded by the 
trunk of an immense leafless monkey-bread-tree, a little behind 
the walled place Kabi, the southern quarter of which is alone 
inhabited, and where our friends the Tebu had encamped. 
Starting, then, together with them at two o'clock in the after- 
noon, we took the road by Deffowa, leaving on our right that 
which passes Donari, the country now assuming a more hospi- 
table and very peculiar character. 

[Arriving at Bandego on the 27th of March, Dr. Barth finds 
himself in the neighborhood of Mr. Richardsoms grave.] 

"We were quietly pitching our tent on the east side of the 
village, and I was about to make myself comfortable, when I 
was not a little affected by learning that the girls who had been 
bringing little presents to the festival, and who were just re- 
turning in procession to their homes, belonged to Xgurutuwa, 
the very place where the Christian (Mr. Richardson) had died. 
I then determined to accompany them, though it was late, in 
order to have at least a short glimpse of the "white man's 
grave, ■' and to see whether it were taken care of. If I had 
known before we unloaded the camels how near we were to the 
place, I should have gone there at once to spend the night. 

Ngarutuwa, once a large and celebrated place, but at pre- 
sent somewhat in decay, lies in a wide and extensive plain, 
with very few trees, about two miles X.E. from Bandego ; but 
the town itself is well shaded, and has, besides korna and bito, 
some wide-spreading, umbrageous fig-trees, under one of which 
Mr. Richardson had been buried. His grave, well protected 
by thorn-bushes, appeared to have remained untouched, and 
was likely to remain so. The natives were well aware that it 
was a Christian who had died here, and they regarded the 
tomb with reverence. The story of his untimely end had 
caused some sensation in the neighborhood. He arrived in a 
weak state in the evening, and early the next morning he died. 
The people had taken great interest in the matter, and the 
report they gave me of the way in which he was buried agreed 
in the main circumstances with that which I afterwards received 




(168) 



ARRIVAL IN KU'KAWA. 169 

from his servants, and of which I forwarded an account from 
Kiikawa. Unfortunately, I had no means of bestowing gifts 
on the inhabitants of the place where my companion had died. 
-I gave, however, a small present to a man who promised to 
take special care of the grave, and I afterward persuaded the 
Yizier of Bdrnu to have a stronger fence made round it. 

It was late in the evening when I returned to my tent, en- 
grossed with reflections on my own probable fate, and sincerely 
thankful to the Almighty Ruler of all things for the excellent 
health which I still enjoyed, notwithstanding the many fatigues 
which I had undergone. My way of looking at things was 
not quite the same as that of my late companion, and we had 
therefore often had little differences ; but I esteemed him highly 
for the deep sympathy which he felt for the sufferings of the 
native African, and deeply lamented his death. Full of confi- 
dence, I stretched myself upon my mat, and indulged in my 
simple supper, accompanied with a bowl of milk which the 
inhabitants of Bandesro had brought me. 

[Passing through several unimportant villages, Dr. Barth, 
on the 1st of April, encamped in the immediate neighborhood 
of Kiikawa, the capital of the populous and rich empire of 
Bdrnu.] 



CHAPTER XI. 



Arrival in Kukawa — Settling with Mr. Richardson's servants — Visit to the 
Vizier and the Sheikh — Transactions about Mr. Richardson's property 
— Giving medicine — Character of the Vizier — He supplies Dr. Barth 
with money — The Sheikh gives him a horse — Description of A'gades — ■ 
The Markets— The Great Fair— The People of A'gades— The Women. 

Wednesday, April 2d. This was to be a most momentous 
day of my travels ; for I was to reach that place which was 
the first distinct object of our mission, and I was to come into 
contact with those people on whose ill or good will depended 
the whole success of our mission. 
15 



170 beshe'r. 

Although encamped late at night, we were again up at an 
early hour. We met a troop of tugiirchi, who informed us 
that none of the villages along our track at the present moment 
had a supply of water, not even the considerable village Kan- 
garuwa, but that at the never-failing well of Besher I should 
be able to water my horse. This news only served to confirm 
me in my resolution to ride on in advance, in order as well to 
water my poor beast before the greatest heat of the day, as to 
reach the residence in good time. 

I therefore took leave of my two young servants, and, giving 
Mohammed strict orders to follow me with the camels as fast as 
possible, I hastened on. The wooded level became now inter- 
rupted from time to time by bare naked concavities or shallow 
hollows, consisting of black sedimentary soil, where, during the 
rainy season, the water collects, and, drying up gradually, leaves 
a most fertile sediment for the cultivation of the masakwa. This 
is a peculiar kind of holcus (Holcus cernuus), which forms a 
very important article in the agriculture of Bornu. Sown soon 
after the end of the rainy season, it grows up entirely by the 
fructifying power of the soil, and ripens with the assistance 
only of the abundant dews, which fall here usually in the 
months following the rainy season. These hollows, which are 
the most characteristic natural feature in the whole country, 
and which encompass the southwestern corner of the great 
lagune of Central Africa throughout a distance of more than 
sixty miles from its present shore, are called " ghadir" by the 
Arabs, " firki" or " ange" by the Kaniiri. Indeed, they amply 
testify to the far greater extent of the lagoon in the ante-his- 
torical times. 

Pushing on, and passing several villages, I reached about 
noon Besher, a group of villages scattered over the corn-fields, 
where numerous horsemen of the sheikh were quartered ; and, 
being unable myself to find the well, I made a bargain with 
one of the people to water my horse, for which he exacted 
from me forty "kiingona" or cowries. However, when I had 
squatted down for a moment's rest in the shade of a small 
talha-tree, his wife, who had been looking on, began to reprove 



171 

liim for driving so hard a bargain with a young, inexperienced 
stranger ; and then she brought me a little tiggra and curdled 
milk diluted with water, and afterward some ngaji or paste of 
sorghum. 

Having thus recruited my strength, I continued my march ; 
but my horse, not having fared so well, was nearly exhausted. 
The heat was intense, and therefore we proceeded but slowly 
till I reached Kalilwa, when I began seriously to reflect on my 
situation, which was very peculiar. I was now approaching 
the residence of the chief whom the mission, of which I had 
the honor to form part, was especially sent out to salute — in a 
very poor plight, without resources of any kind, and left entirely 
by myself, owing to the death of the director. I was close to 
this place, a large town, and was about to enter it without a 
single companion. The heat being just at its highest, no living 
being was to be seen either in the village or on the road ; and 
I hesitated a moment, considering whether it would not be 
better to wait here for my camels. But my timid reluctance 
being confounded by the thought that my people might be far 
behind, and that, if I waited for them, we should find no quar- 
ters prepared for us, I spurred on my nag, and soon reached 
the western border of Kiikawa. 

Proceeding with some hesitation toward the white clay wall 
which encircles the town, and which, from a little distance, 
could scarcely be distinguished from the adjoining ground, I 
entered the gate, being gazed at by a number of people col- 
lected here, and who were still more surprised when I inquired 
for the residence of the sheikh. Then, passing the little daily 
market (the dyrriya), which was crowded with people, I rode 
along the dendal, or promenade, straight up to the palace, 
which borders the promenade toward the east. It is flanked 
by a very indifferent mosque, built likewise of clay, with a 
tower at its N. W. corner, while houses of grandees inclose 
the place on the north and south sides. The only ornament 
of this place is a fine chedia or caoutchouc-tree in front of the 
house of ' Ali Ladan, on the south side ; but occasionally it 
becomes enlivened by interesting groups of Arabs and native 



172 SERVANTS OF THE MISSION. 

courtiers in all the finery of their dress and of their richly- 
caparisoned horses. 

The sheikh, though he usually resides in his palace in the 
eastern town, was at present here ; and the slaves stared at 
me, without understanding, or caring to understand, what I 
wanted, until Diggama, the store-keeper, was called, who, 
knowing something of me as 'Abd el Kerim, ordered a slave 
to conduct me to the vizier. Though I had heard some ac- 
count of the sheikh living out of the western town, I was rather 
taken by surprise at seeing the large extent of the double town, 
and I was equally astonished at the number of gorgeously- 
dressed horsemen. whom I met on my way. 

Considering my circumstances, I could not have chosen a 
more favorable moment for arriving. About two hundred 
horsemen were assembled before the house of the vizier, who 
was just about to mount his horse in order to pay his daily 
visit to the sheikh. When he came out, he saluted me in a 
very cheerful way, and was highly delighted when he heard 
and saw that I had come quite alone. He told me that he had 
known me already from the letter which I had sent to his agent 
in Zinder, stating that I would come after I had finished my 
business, but not before. While he himself rode in great state 
to the sheikh, he ordered one of his people to show me my 
quarters. These were closely adjoining the vizier's house, 
consisting of two immense court-yards, the more secluded of 
which inclosed, besides a half-finished clay dwelling, a very 
spacious and neatly-built hut. This, as I was told, had been 
expressly prepared for the mission before it was known that 
we were without means. 

I had scarcely taken possession of my quarters when I re- 
ceived several visits from various parties attached to the mis- 
sion, who all at once made me quite au fait of all the circum- 
stances of my not very enviable situation as one of its surviving 
members. The first person who called upon me was Ibrahim, 
the carpenter, who, at Mr. Richardson's request, had been sent 
up from Tripoli, at the monthly salary of twenty mahbiibs, 
besides a sum of four dollars for his maintenance. He was 



NO FUNDS. 173 

certainly a handsome young man, about twenty-two years of 
age, a native of the " holy house " (Bet el mogaddus) or Jeru- 
salem, with big sounding phrases in his mouth, and quite satis- 
fied to return with me directly to Fezzan without having done 
anything. Then came his more experienced and cheerful com- 
panion, 'Abd e' Rahman, a real sailor, who was not so loud in 
his clamors, but urged more distinctly the payment of his 
salary, which was equal to that of Ibrahim. 

After I had consoled these dear friends, and assured them 
that I had no idea at present of returning northward, and that 
I should do my best to find the means of satisfying the most 
urgent of their claims, there arrived another of the bloodsuckers 
of the mission, and the most thirsty of them all. It was my 
colleague, the bibulous Yusuf, son of Mukni, the former go- 
vernor of Fezz'm, accompanied by Mohammed ben Bu-S'ad, 
whom Mr. Richardson, when he discharged Yusuf in Zindeiy 
had taken into his service in his stead, and by Mohammed ben 
Habib, the least serviceable of Mr. Richardson's former ser- 
vants. Yusuf was mounted upon a fine horse, and most 
splendidly dressed ; but he was extremely gracious and conde- 
scending, as he entertained the hope that my boxes and bags, 
which had just arrived with my faithful Gatrdni, were full of 
shells, and that I should be able to pay his salary at once. 
He was greatly puzzled when I informed him of my extreme 
poverty. Mr. Richardson's other servants, to my great regret, 
had gone off the day before, unpaid as they were, in order to 
regain their various homes. 

I now ascertained that the pay due to Mr. Richardson's ser- 
vants amounted to more than three hundred dollars ; besides 
which there was the indefinite debt of the Sfciksi, amounting 
in reality to twelve hundred and seventy dollars, but which, by 
the form in which the bill had been given, might easily be 
doubled. I did not possess a single dollar, a single bernus, 
nor anything of value, and, moreover, was informed by my 
-friends that I should be expected to make both to the sheikh 
and to the vizier a handsome present of my own. I now saw 
also that what the Sherif el Habib had told me on the road 
15* 



174 VISIT TO THE VIZIER. 

(viz., that all Mr. Richardson's things had been divided and 
squandered) was not altogether untrue. At least, they had 
been deposited with the vizier on very uncertain conditions, or 
rather had been delivered up to him by the two interpreters 
of our late companion, intimating to him that I and Mr. Over- 
weg were quite subordinate people attached to the mission, 
and that we had no right to interfere in the matter. 

Seeing how matters stood, I thought it best, in order to put 
a stop to the intrigues which had been set a going, to take 
Mohammed ben S'ad into my service on the same salary which 
he had received from Mr. Richardson. Besides, I pledged my 
word to all that they should each receive what was due to him, 
only regretting that the rest of Mr. Richardson's people had 
already gone away. 

After all these communications, fraught with oppressive 
anxiety, I received a most splendid supper as well from the 
sheikh as from the vizier, and, after the varied exertions of the 
day, enjoyed a quiet night's rest in my clean cottage. 

Thus strengthened, I went the next morning to pay my re- 
spects to the vizier, taking with me a small present of my own, 
the principal attractions of which lay in a thick twisted lace of 
silk, of very handsome workmanship, which I had had made 
in Tripoli, and a leathern letter-case of red color, which I had 
brought with me from Europe. Destitute as I was of any 
means, and not quite sure as yet whether her Britannic majes- 
ty's government would authorize me to carry out the objects 
of the mission, I did not deem it expedient to assume too 
much importance, but simply told the vizier that, though the 
director of the mission had not been fortunate enough to con- 
vey to him and the sheikh with his own mouth the sentiments 
of the British government, yet I hoped that, even in this re- 
spect, these endeavors would not be quite in vain, although at 
the present moment our means were so exhausted that, even 
for executing our scientific plans, we were entirely dependent 
on their kindness. 

The same reserve I maintained in my interview with the 
sheikh on the morning of Friday, when I laid little stress upon 



INTERVIEW WITH THE SHEIKH. 175 

the object of our mission (to obtain security of commerce for 
English merchants), thinking it better to leave this to time, but 
otherwise dwelling upon the friendship established between the 
sheikh's father and the English, and representing to them that, 
relying upon this manifestation of their friendly disposition, we 
had come without reserve to live awhile among them, and 
under their protection, and with their assistance, to obtain an 
insight into this part of the world, which appeared so strange 
in our eyes. Our conversation was quite free from constraint 
or reserve, as nobody was present besides the sheikh and the 
vizier. 

I found the sheikh ('Omar, the eldest son of Mohammed el 
Amin el Kanemy) a very simple, benevolent, and even cheerful 
man. He has regular and agreeable features, rather a little 
too round to be expressive; but he is remarkably black — a real 
glossy black, such as is rarely seen in Bornu, and which he has 
inherited undoubtedly from his mother, a Bagirmaye princess. 
He was very simply dressed, in a light tobe, having a berniis 
negligently wrapped round his shoulder ; round his head a 
dark red shawl was twisted with great care ; and his face was 
quite uncovered, which surprised me not a little, as his father 
used to cover it in the Tawarek fashion. He was reclining 
upon a divan covered with a carpet, at the back of a fine, airy 
hall, neatly polished. 

My presents were very small, the only valuable article among 
them being a nice little copy of the Kuran, which on a former 
occasion I had bought in Egypt for five pounds sterling, and 
was now carrying with me for my own use. That I made a 
present of this book to the prince may perhaps be regarded 
with an unfavorable eye by some persons in this country ; but 
let them consider it as a sign of an unprejudiced mind, and of 
the very high esteem in which he held me, that, although know- 
ing me to be a Christian, he did not refuse to accept from my 
hands that which was most holy in his eyes. On the whole, I 
could not have expected a more friendly reception, either from 
the sheikh or from his vizier. But there was a very delicate 



176 MR. RICHARDSON'S PROPERTY. 

point which I was obliged to touch upon : what was to become 
of Mr. Richardson's property ? 

In the afternoon I went again to the vizier, and requested 
to see the inventory of all that my late companion had left, 
and he showed it to me and read it himself. He then ordered 
the box to be opened, which contained clothes and papers ; 
and I was glad to see that not only the journals, upon the 
keeping of which Mr. Richardson had bestowed great care, 
but also all his other collectanea, were safe. Having taken 
the inventory with me, I sent Mohammed the following day to 
him with the request that Mr. Richardson's property should 
be delivered to me. Having been desired to call myself at 
noon, I went, but was surprised to find only Lamino (properly 
El Amin), the vizier's confidential officer, of whom I shall 
have occasion to speak hereafter. I was still more surprised 
when only some of Mr. Richardson's boxes were brought in, 
and I was desired to select what I wanted, and leave the rest 
behind. This I refused to do, and asked where the other things 
Were, when Lamino did not hesitate to declare that the orna- 
mented gun and the handsome pair of pistols had been sold. 
Upon hearing this, though I had been treated very kindly and 
hospitably on my arrival, and had received immense quantities 
of provisions of every kind, I could not refrain from declaring 
that if in truth they had behaved so unscrupulously with other 
people's property, I had nothing more to do here, and returned 
to my quarters immediately. 

My firmness had its desired effect ; and late in the evening 
I received a message from the vizier, that if I wanted to have 
a private interview with him I might come now, as during the 
daytime he was always troubled by the presence of a great 
many people. The person who brought me this message was 
Haj Edris, a man of whom, in the course of my proceedings, 
I shall have to speak repeatedly. Satisfied with having an 
opportunity of conversing with the vizier without reserve, I 
followed the messenger immediately, and found Haj Beshir 
quite alone, sitting in an inner court of his house, with two 
small wax candles by his side. We then had a long interview, 



DANGEROUS MEDICAL PRACTICE. 177 

which lasted till midnight, and the result of which was that I 
protested formally against the sale of those things left by Mr. 
Richardson, and insisted that all should be delivered to myself 
and to Mr. Overweg as soon as he should arrive, when we 
would present to the sheikh and to the vizier, in a formal man- 
ner, all those articles which we knew our companion had in- 
tended to give to them. Besides, I urged once more the 
necessity of forwarding the news of Mr. Richardson's death, 
and of my safe arrival, as soon as possible, as, after our late 
misfortunes in Air, her Britannic Majesty's government, as 
well as our friends, would be most anxious about our safety 
I likewise tried to persuade my benevolent and intelligent host 
that he might do a great service to the mission if he would 
enable us to carry out part of our scientific purposes without 
delay, as government would certainly not fail to honor us with 
their confidence if they saw that we were going on. Having 
carried all my points, and being promised protection and 
assistance to the widest extent, I indulged in a more friendly 
chat, and, delighted by the social character of my host, and 
fall of the most confident hopes for my future proceedings, 
withdrew a little after midnight. 

Having in this way vindicated the honorable character of the 
mission and my own, I applied myself with more cheerfulness 
to my studies and inquiries, for which I found ample opportu- 
nity ; for many distinguished personages from distant countries 
were staying here at this time, partly on their journey to and 
from Mekka, partly only attracted by the fame of the vizier's 
hospitable and bounteous character. 

[Among the persons of distinction with whom Dr. Barth 
became acquainted, in Kukawa, was Pullo Ibrahim, son of 
the sheikh el Muhktan, in Kukaida on the Senegal, of whom 
he relates the following curious anecdote.] 

As an example of the risks which European travellers may 
incur by giving medicines to natives to administer to them- 
selves at home, I will relate the following incident. Ibrahim 
told me one day that he wanted some cooling medicine, and I 
gave him two strong doses of Epsom salts, to use occasionally. 



178 THE VIZIER HA' J BESHl'R. 

He then complained the following day that he was suffering 
from worms ; and when I told him that the Epsom salts would 
not have the effect of curing this complaint, but that worm- 
powder would, he begged me to give him some of the latter ; 
and I gave him three doses, to use on three successive days. 
However, my poor friend, though an intelligent man, thought 
that it might not be amiss to take all this medicine at once, 
viz., four ounces of Epsom salts and six drachms of worm- 
powder ; and the reader may imagine the effect which this dose 
produced upon a rather slender man. Unfortunately, I had 
just taken a ride out of the town ; and he remained for full two 
days in a most desperate state, while his friends, who had sent 
in vain to my house to obtain my assistance, were lamenting to 
all the people that the Christian had killed their companion, 
the pious pilgrim. 

[The most important acquaintance of Dr. Barth, in Kiikawa, 
was the vizier, whom he thus describes.] 

I must principally dwell upon my relations to the vizier El 
Haj Beshir ben Ahmed Tirab, upon whose benevolent disposi- 
tion the whole success of the mission depended, as he ruled 
entirely the mind of the sheikh, who was more sparing of words, 
and less intelligent. 

Mohammed el Beshir, being the son of the most influential 
man in Bomu after the sheikh, enjoyed all the advantages 
which such a position could offer for the cultivation of his 
mind, which was by nature of a superior cast. He had gone 
on a pilgrimage to Mekka in the year 1843, by way of Ben- 
Ghazi, when he had an opportunity both of showing the Arabs 
near the coast that the inhabitants of the interior of the conti- 
nent are superior to the beasts, and of getting a glimpse of a 
higher state of civilization than he had been able to observe in 
his own country. 

Having thus learned to survey the world collectively from a 
new point of view, and with an increased eagerness after every- 
thing foreign and marvellous, he returned to his native country, 
where he soon had an opportunity of proving his talent, his 
father being slain in the unfortunate battle of Kusuri, and 



SHEIKH 'OMA'R. 179 

Sheikh 'Omar, a fugitive in his native country, having much 
need of a faithful counsellor in his embarrassed situation. The 
sheikh was beset by a powerful and victorious host, encamping 
in the largest of the towns of his kingdom, while the party of 
the old dynasty was rising again, and not only withdrawing 
from him the best forces wherewith to face the enemy, but 
threatening his very existence, at the same time that a brother 
was standing in fierce rivalry to him at the head of a numerous 
army. Sheikh 'Omar was successful, the host of Waday was 
obliged to withdraw, and, abandoning the purpose for which 
they had come, namely, that of re-establishing the old dynasty, 
commenced a difficult retreat of many hundred miles at the 
beginning of the rainy season ; the partisans of the old dynasty 
were entirely crushed, the last prince of that family slain, the 
residence of the sultans levelled to the ground, and even 
remembrance of the old times was almost effaced. There re- 
mained to be feared only his brother 'Abd e' Rahman. 'Abd 
e' Rahman was a good soldier, but a man of very loose and 
violent character. When a youth he had committed all sorts 
of violence and injustice, carrying off young brides by force to 
indulge his passions ; he was, besides, a man of little intelli- 
gence. Being but a few months younger than 'Omar, he 
thought himself equally entitled to the succession ; and if once 
admitted into a high position in the empire, he might be 
expected to abuse his influence on the very first opportunity. 

Sheikh 'Omar, therefore, could not but choose to confide 
rather in the intelligent son of his old minister, the faithful 
companion in the field and counsellor of his father, than in his 
own fierce and jealous brother ; and all depended upon the 
behavior of Haj Beshir, and upon the discretion with which he 
should occupy and maintain his place as first, or rather only 
minister of the kingdom. Assuredly his policy should have 
been to conciliate, as much as possible, all the greater " koka- 
nawa" or courtiers, in order to undermine the influence of 
'Abd e' Rahman, whom it might be wise to keep at a respect- 
ful distance. But in this respect the vizier seems to have made 
great mistakes, his covetousness blinding him to his principal 



180 DEATn of ha'j beshi'r. 

advantages ; for covetous he certainly was — first, from the love 
of possessing, and also in order to indulge his luxurious dispo- 
sition, for he was certainly rather "kamuma," that is to say, 
extremely fond of the fair sex, and had a harim of from three 
to four hundred female slaves. 

In assembling this immense number of female companions 
for the entertainment of his leisure hours, he adopted a scien- 
tific principle ; in fact, a credulous person might suppose that 
he regarded his harim only from a scientific point of view, as a 
sort of ethnological museum, doubtless of a peculiarly interest- 
ing kind, which he had brought together in order to impress 
upon his memory the distinguishing features of each tribe. I 
have often observed that, in speaking with him of the different 
tribes of Negroland, he was at times struck with the novelty 
of a name, lamenting that he had not yet had a specimen of 
that tribe in his harim, and giving orders at once to his ser- 
vants to endeavor to procure a perfect sample of the missing 
kind. I remember, also, that on showing to him one day an 
illustrated ethnological work in which he took a lively interest, 
and coming to a beautiful picture of a Circassian female, he 
told me, with an expression of undisguised satisfaction, that he 
had a living specimen of that kind ; and when, forgetting the 
laws of Mohammedan etiquette, I was so indiscreet as to ask 
him whether she was as handsome as the picture, he answered 
only with a smile, at once punishing and pardoning my indis- 
creet question. I must also say that, notwithstanding the 
great number and variety of the women who shared his atten- 
tion, lfe seemed to take a hearty interest in each of them ; at 
least I remember that he grieved most sincerely for the loss of 
one who died in the winter of 1851. Poor Haj Beshir ! He 
was put to death in the last month of 1853, leaving seventy- 
three sons alive, not counting the daughters, and the numbers 
of children which may be supposed to die in such an establish- 
ment without reaching maturity. 

But to return to his political character. I said that he 
neglected to attach to himself the more powerful of the cour- 
tiers, with whose assistance he might have hoped to keep the 



HIS LENIENCY. 181 

rival brother of Sheikh 'Omar at some distance ; indeed, he 
even alienated them by occasional, and sometimes injudicious 
use of his almost unlimited power, obliging them, for instance, 
to resign to him a handsome female slave or a fine horse. If 
he had possessed great personal courage and active powers, he 
might have mastered circumstances and kept his post, notwith- 
standing the ill-will of all around him ; but he wanted those 
qualities, as the result shows ; and yet, well aware of the dan- 
ger which threatened him, he was always on his guard, having 
sundry loaded pistols and carbines always around him, upon 
and under his carpet. Shortly before I arrived, an arrow had 
been shot at him in the evening while he was sitting in his 
court-yard. 

I have peculiar reason to thank Providence for having 
averted the storm which was gathering over his head during 
my stay in Bdrnu, for my intimacy with him might very easily 
have involved me also in the calamities which befell him. 
However, I repeat that, altogether, he was a most excellent, 
kind, liberal, and just man, and might have done much good 
to the country if he had been less selfish and more active. He 
was incapable, indeed, of executing by himself any act of se- 
verity, such as in the unsettled state of a semi-barbarous king- 
dom may at times be necessary ; and, being conscious of his 
own mildness, he left all those matters to a man named Lamino, 
to whom I gave the title of "the shameless left hand of the 
vizier," and whom I shall have frequent occasion to mention. 

I pressed upon the vizier the necessity of defending the 
northern frontier of Bdrnu against the Tawarek by more ef- 
fectual measures than had been then adopted, and thus re- 
trieving, for cultivation and the peaceable abode of his fellow- 
subjects, the fine borders of the komadugu, and restoring se- 
curity to the road to Fezzan. Just about this time the Tawarek 
had made another expedition into the border districts on a 
large scale, so that Kashella Belal, the first of the war-chiefs, 
was obliged to march against them ; and the road to Kano, 
which I, with my usual good luck, had passed unmolested, had 
16 



182 OBJECTIONS TO THE BIBLE. 

become so unsafe that a numerous caravan was plundered, and 
a well-known Arab merchant, the Sherif el Ghali, killed. 

I remonstrated with him on the shamefully-neglected state 
of the shores of the lake, which contained the finest pasture- 
grounds, and might yield an immense quantity of rice and 
cotton. He entered with spirit into all my proposals, but in a 
short time all was forgotten. He listened with delight to what 
little historical knowledge I had of these countries, and inquired 
particularly whether Kanem had really been in former times a 
mighty kingdom, or whether it would be worth retaking. It 
was in consequence of these conversations that he began to 
take an interest in the former history of the country, and that 
the historical records of Edris Alawdma came to light ; but 
he would not allow me to take them into my hands, and I 
could only read over his shoulders. He was a very religious 
man ; and though he admired Europeans very much on account 
of their greater accomplishments, he was shocked to think that 
they drank intoxicating liquors. However, I tried to console 
him by telling him that, although the Europeans were also 
very partial to the fair sex, yet they did not indulge in this 
luxury on so large a scale as he did, and that therefore he 
ought to allow them some other little pleasure. 

He was very well aware of the misery connected with the 
slave-trade ; for, on his pilgrimage to Mekka, in the mountain- 
ous region between Fezzan and Ben-Grhazi, he had lost, in one 
night, forty of his slaves by the extreme cold, and he swore 
that he would never take slaves for sale if he were to travel 
again. But it was more difficult to make him sensible of the 
horrors of slave-hunting, although, when accompanying him 
on the expedition to Miisgu, I and Mr. Overweg urged this 
subject with more success, as the further progress of my nar- 
rative will show. He was very desirous to open a commerce 
with the English, although he looked with extreme suspicion 
upon the form of articles in which the treaty was proposed to 
be drawn up ; but he wished to forbid to Christians the sale 
of two things, viz., spirituous liquors and Bibles. He did not 
object to Bibles being brought into the country, and even given 



DEBTS OF THE MISSION PAID. 183 

as presents, but he would not allow of their being sold. But 
the difficulties which I had to contend with in getting the 
treaty signed will be made more conspicuous as my narrative 
proceeds. 

The most pressing matter which I had with the vizier in the 
first instance, after my arrival, was to obtain some money, in 
order to settle, at least partly, the just claims of the late Mr. 
Richardson's servants, and to clear off debts which reflected 
little credit on the government which had sent us. I could 
scarcely expect that he would lend me the money without any 
profit, and was therefore glad to obtain it at the rate of 1000 
cowries, or kungona as they are called in Bornu, for a dollar, 
to be paid in Fezzan ; and I lost very little by the bargain, as 
the creditors, well aware of the great difficulty I was in, and ac- 
knowledging my desire to pay them off, agreed to receive for 
every dollar of the sum which they claimed only 1280 cowries, 
while in the market the dollar fetched a much higher price. 
Indeed, it was most grateful to my feelings to be enabled, on 
the 13th of April, to distribute among the eight creditors 
10,000 shells ; and it was the more agreeable, as the more ar- 
rogant among them, seeing my extreme poverty, had assumed 
a tone of great insolence toward me, which I found it difficult 
to support in silence. Being now relieved a little in circum- 
stances, T immediately rid myself of the carpenter, the grandil- 
oquent Son of Jerusalem, and sent him away. He died on 
the road before reaching Miirzuk — a fact which the natives at- 
tributed to the curse which I had given him for having stolen 
something from my house. 

My household now became more comfortable. Already, on 
the 10th of April, late in the evening, I had removed my quar- 
ters from the large empty court-yard in the eastern town, or 
billa gedibe, to a small clay house in the western, or billa 
futebe. 

This dwelling consisted of several small but neatly-made 
rooms, and a yard. Afterward we succeeded in obtaining in 
addition an adjoining yard, which was very spacious, and in- 
cluded several thatched huts ; and all this together formed 



184 

"the English house," which the sheikh was kind enough to 
concede to the English mission as long as anybody should be 
left there to take care of it. 

My poor Katsena nag, the present of the extraordinary go- 
vernor of that place, almost against my expectation, had suc- 
cessfully carried me as far as Kiikawa ; but at that point it was 
quite exhausted, wanting at least some months' repose. I 
was therefore without a horse, and was obliged at first to walk 
on foot, which was very trying in the deep sand and hot wea- 
ther. I had once entreated the vizier to lend me a horse, but 
Lamino had, in consequence, sent me such a miserable animal 
that I declined mounting it. The sheikh, being informed after- 
ward that I was bargaining for a horse, sent me one as a pre- 
sent ; it was tall and well-formed,, but of a color which I did 
not like, and very lean, having just come from the country, 
where it had got no corn, so that it was unfit for me, as I 
wanted a strong animal, ready to undergo a great deal of 
fatigue. I was already preparing for my journey to Adamawa, 
and, having made the acquaintance of M'allem Katuri, a 
native of Yakoba, or, rather, as the town is generally called, 
Garun Bauchi, and an excellent man, who had accompanied 
several great ghazzias in that country, I hired him, and bought 
for his use a good travelling horse. I bought, also, a tolerable 
pony for my servant Mohammed ben S'ad, so that, having now 
three horses at my command, I entered with spirit upon my 
new career as an explorer of Xegroland. All this, of course, 
was done by contracting a few little debts. 

Having now a horse whereon to mount, I rode every day, 
either into the eastern town to pay a visit to the sheikh or to 
the vizier, or roving around the whole circuit of the capital, 
and peeping into the varied scenes which the life of the people 
exhibited. The precincts of the town, with its suburbs, are 
just as interesting, as its neighborhood (especially during the 
months that precede the rainy season) is monotonous and tire- 
some in the extreme. Certainly the arrangement of the capital 
contributes a great deal to the variety of the picture which it 
forms, laid out as it is, in two distinct towns, each surrounded 



THE TWO TOWNS. 185 

with its wall, "the one occupied chiefly by the rich and wealthy, 
containing very large establishments, while the other, with the 
exception of the principal thoroughfare, which traverses the 
town from west to east, consists of rather crowded dwellings, 
with narrow, winding lanes. These two distinct towns are se- 
parated by a space about half a mile broad, itself thickly in- 
habited on both sides of a wide, open road, which forms the 
connection between them, but laid out less regularly, and pre- 
senting to the eye a most interesting medley of large clay build- 
ings and small thatched huts, of massive clay walls surround- 
ing immense yards, and light fences of reeds in a more or less 
advanced state of decay, and with a variety of color, accord- 
ing to their age, from the brightest yellow down to the deepest 
black. All around these two towns there are small villages or 
clusters of huts, and large detached farms surrounded with 
clay walls, low enough to allow a glimpse from horseback over 
the thatched huts which they inclose. 

In this labyrinth of dwellings a man, interested in the many 
forms which human life presents, may rove about at any time 
of the day with the certainty of never-failing amusement, al- 
though the life of the Kaniiri people passes rather monotonously 
along, with the exception of some occasional feasting. During 
the hot hours, indeed, the town and its precincts become tor- 
pid, except on market-days, when the market-place itself, at 
least, and the road leading to it from the western gate, are 
most animated just at that time. For, singular, as it is, in 
Kukawa, as well as almost all over this part of Negroland, the 
great markets do not begin to be well attended till the heat of 
the day grows intense .; and it is curious to observe what a dif- 
ference, prevails in this, as well as in other respects, between 
these countries and Ydruba, where almost all the markets are 
held in the cool of the evening. 

The daily little markets, or durriya, even in Kukawa, are 
held in the afternoon. The most important of these durriyas 
is that held inside the west gate of the billa futebe, and here 
even camels, horses, and oxen are sold in considerable num- 
bers j but they are much inferior to the large fair, or great 
16* 



186 BUSINESS AND CONCOURSE. 

market, which is held every Monday on the open ground be- 
yond the two villages which lie at a short distance from the 
western gate. 

I visited the great fair, " kasukii leteninbe," every Monday 
immediately after my arrival, and found it very interesting, as 
it calls together the inhabitants of all the eastern parts of 
Bornu, the Shiiwa and the Koyam, with their corn and butter ; 
the former, though of Arab origin, and still preserving in 
purity his ancient character, always- carrying his merchandise 
on the back of oxen, the women mounted upon the top of it, 
while the African Koyam employs the camel ; the Kiinembu 
with their butter and dried fish, the inhabitants of Makari with 
their tobes ; even Budduma, or rather Yedina, are very often 
seen in the market, selling whips made from the skin of the 
hippopotamus, or sometimes even hippopotamus meat, or dried 
fish, and attract the attention of the speculator by their slender 
figures, their small, handsome features, unimpaired by any 
incisions, the men generally wearing a short black shirt and a 
small straw hat, " siini ngawa," their neck adorned with seve- 
ral strings of kungona or shells, while the women are profusely 
ornamented with strings of glass beads, and wear their hair in 
a very remarkable way, though not in so awkward a fashion 
as Mr. Overweg afterward observed in the island Behirigo. 

On reaching the market-place from the town, the visitor first 
comes to that part where the various materials for construct- 
ing the light dwellings of the country are sold, such as mats ; 
poles and stakes ; the framework for the thatched roofs of huts, 
and the ridge-beam ; then oxen for slaughter, or for carrying 
burdens ; farther on, long rows of leathern bags filled with 
corn, ranging far along on the south side of the market-place. 
These long rows are animated not only by the groups of the 
sellers and buyers, with their weatherworn figures and torn 
dresses, but also by the beasts of burden, mostly oxen, which 
have brought the loads, and which are to carry back their 
masters to their distant dwelling-places ; then follow the camels 
for sale, often as many as a hundred or more, and numbers of 
horses, but generally not first-rate ones, which are mostly sold 



DEFECTIVE CURRENCY. 187 

in private. All this sale of horses, camels, &c, with the ex- 
ception of the oxen, passes through the hands of the broker, 
who, according to the mode of announcement, takes his per- 
centage from the buyer or the seller. 

The fatigue which people have to undergo in purchasing 
their week's necessaries in the market is all the more harassing, 
as there is not at present any standard money for buying 
and selling; for the ancient standard of the country, viz., 
the pound of copper, has long since fallen into disuse, though 
the name, " rotl," still remains. The "gabaga," or cotton 
strips, which then became usual, have lately begun to be sup- 
planted by the cowries or " kiingona," which have been intro- 
duced, as it seems, rather by a speculation of the ruling people 
than by a natural want of the inhabitants, though nobody can 
deny that they are very useful for buying small articles, and 
infinitely more convenient than cotton strips. Eight cowries 
or kiingona are reckoned equal to one gabaga, and four gabaga, 
or two-and-thirty kiingona, to one rotl. Then, for buying 
larger objects, there are shirts of all kinds and sizes, from the 
"dora," the coarsest and smallest one, quite unfit for use, and 
worth six rotls, up to the large ones, worth fifty or sixty rotls. 
But, while this is" a standard value, the relation of the rotl and 
the Austrian dollar, which is pretty well current in Bdrnu, is 
subject to extreme fluctuation, due, I must confess, at least 
partly, to the speculations of the ruling men, and principally 
to that of my friend the Haj Beshir. Indeed, I cannot defend 
him against the reproach of having speculated to the great 
detriment of the public ; so that when he had collected a great 
amount of kiingona, and wished to give it currency, the dollar 
would suddenly fall as low as to five-and-forty or fifty rotls, 
while at other times it would fetch as much as one hundred 
rotls, or three thousand two hundred shells, that is, seven hun- 
dred shells more than in Kano. The great advantage of the 
market in Kano is that there is one standard coin, which, if a 
too large amount of dollars be not on a sudden set in circula- 
tion, will always preserve the same value. 

But to return to the picture of life which the town of Kuka- 



188 bo'rnu women. — promenade. 

wa presents. With the exception of Mondays, when just 
during the hottest hours of the day there is much crowd and 
bustle in the market-place, it is very dull from about noon till 
three o'clock in the afternoon ; and even during the rest of the 
day those scenes of industry which in the varied panorama of 
Kand meet the eye are here sought for in vain. Instead of 
those numerous dyeing-yards or marina, full of life and bustle, 
though certainly also productive of much filth and foul odors, 
which spread over the town of Kano, there is only a single and 
a very poor marina in Kiikawa ; no beating of tobes is heard, 
nor the sound of any other handicraft. 

There is a great difference of character between these two 
towns ; and the Bdrnu people are by temperament far more 
phlegmatic than those of Kand. The women in general are 
much more ugly, with square, short figures, large heads, and 
broad noses with immense nostrils, disfigured still more by the 
enormity of a red bead or coral worn in the nostrils. Never- 
theless, they are certainly quite as coquettish, and, as far as I 
had occasion to observe, at least as wanton also as the more 
cheerful and sprightly Hausa women. I have never seen a 
Hausa woman strolling about the streets with her gown trailing 
after her on the ground, the fashion of the women of Kiikawa, 
and wearing on her shoulders some Manchester print of a 
showy pattern, keeping the ends of it in her hands, while she 
throws her arms about in a coquettish manner. In a word, 
their dress, as well as their demeanor, is far more decent and 
agreeable. The best part in the dress or ornaments of the 
Bdrnu women is the silver ornament which they wear on the 
back of the head, and which in taller figures, when the hair is 
plaited in the form of a helmet, is very becoming ; but it is not 
every woman who can afford such an ornament, and many a 
one sacrifices her better interests for this decoration. 

The most animated quarter of the two towns is the great 
thoroughfare, which, proceeding by the southern side of the 
palace in the western town, traverses it from west to east, and 
leads straight to the skeikh's residence in the eastern town. 
This is the " dendal" or promenade, a locality which has its 



LAKE TSA'd. 189 

imitation, on a less or greater scale, in every town of the coun- 
try. This road, during the whole day, is crowded by numbers 
of people on horseback and on foot ; free men and slaves, 
foreigners as well as natives, every one in his best attire, to 
pay his respects to the sheikh or his vizier, to deliver an errand, 
or to sue for justice or employment, or a present. I myself 
very often went along this well-trodden path — this high road 
of ambition ; but I generally went at an unusual hour, either at 
sunrise in the morning, or while the heat of the midday, not 
yet abated, detained the people in their cool haunts, or late at 
night, when the people were already retiring to rest, or, sitting 
before their houses, beguiling their leisure hours with amusing 
tales or with petty scandal. At such hours I was sure to find 
the vizier or the sheikh alone ; but sometimes they wished me 
also to visit and sit with them, when they were accessible to 
all the people ; and on these occasions the vizier took pride 
and delight in conversing with me about matters of science, 
such as the motion of the earth, or the planetary system, or 
subjects of that kind. 



CHAPTER XII 



Visit to Lake Tsad. — Description of its appearance. — "Pirates of the 
Tsad. — Dr. Barth sends his servant off with letters. — Arrival of Dr. 
Overweg. — Mr. Richardson's property delivered to Dr. Barth and Dr. 
Overweg. 

My stay in the town was agreeably interrupted by an excur- 
sion to Ngornu and the shores of the lake. 
, Thursday, April 2Uh. Sheikh 'Omar, with his whole court, 
left Kiikawa in the night of the 23d of April, in order to spend 
a day or two in Ngornu, where he had a tolerably good house ; 
and, having been invited by the vizier to go there, I also fol- 
lowed on the morning of the next day. 

[This first attempt to reach Lake Tsad was unsuccessful] 



190 EXCURSION TO LAKE TSA'D. 

Having returned to the town, I related to the vizier my un- 
successful excursion in search of the Tsad, and he obligingly 
promised to send some horsemen to conduct me along the shore 
as far as Kawa, whence I should return to the capital. 

Saturday, April 20th. The sheikh, with his court, having 
left Ngdrnu before the dawn of day on his return to Kukawa, 
I sent back my camel, with my two men also, by the direct 
road ; and then, having waited awhile in vain for the promised 
escort, I went myself with Bu-S'ad to look after it, but suc- 
ceeded only in obtaining two horsemen, one of whom was the 
Kashella Kdtoko, an amiable, quiet Kanemma chief, who ever 
afterward remained my friend, and the other a horse-guard of 
the sheikh's, of the name of Sale. With these companions 
we set out on our. excursion, going northeast ; for due east 
from the town, as I now learned, the lagoon was at present at 
more than ten miles' distance. The fine grassy plain seemed 
to extend to a boundless distance, uninterrupted by a single 
tree, or even a shrub ; not a living creature was to be seen, 
and the sun began already to throw a fiery veil over all around, 
making the vicinity of the cooling element desirable. After a 
little more than half an hour's ride we reached swampy ground, 
and began to make our way through the water, often up to our 
knees on horseback. We thus came to the margin of a fine 
opeu sheet of water, encompassed with papyrus and tall reed, 
of from ten to fourteen feet in height. This creek was called 
" Ngiruwa. " 

Then turning a little more to the north, and passing still 
through deep water full of grass, and most fatiguing for the 
horses, we reached another creek, called " Dimbeber." Here 
I was so fortunate as to see two small boats, or " makara," of 
the Biidduma, as they are called by the Kaniiri, or Yedina, as 
they call themselves, the famous pirates of the Tsad.* They 
were small flat boats, made of the light and narrow wood of 
the "fogo," about twelve feet long, and managed by two men 

* [These pirates live on an island of the lake, maintain their inde- 
pendence, and carry on war against the surrounding tribes. — Ed.] 



191 

each : as soon as the men saw us, they pushed their boats off 
from the shore. They were evidently in search of human prey. 

We then continued our watery march. The sun was by this 
time very powerful ; but a very gentle cooling breeze came 
over the lagoon, and made the heat supportable. We had 
water enough to quench our thirst — indeed, more than we 
really wanted ; for we might have often drunk with our mouth, 
by stooping down a little, on horseback, so deeply were we 
immersed. But the water was exceedingly warm, and full of 
vegetable matter. It is perfectly fresh, as fresh as water can 
be. It seems to have been merely from prejudice that people 
in Europe have come to the conclusion that this Central 
African basin must either have an outlet or must be salt ; for 
I can positively assert that it has no outlet, .and that its water 
is perfectly fresh. 

While we rode along these marshy, luxuriant plains, large 
herds of " kelara " started up, bounding over the rushes, and, 
sometimes swimming, at others running, soon disappeared in 
the distance. This is a peculiar kind of antelope, which I 
have nowhere seen but in the immediate vicinity of the lake. 
In color and size it resembles the roe, and has a white belly. 

Proceeding onward, we reached, about noon, another creek, 
which is used occasionally by the Budduma as a harbor, and 
is called "Ngulbea." We, however, found it empty, and only 
inhabited by ngurutus or river-horses, which, indeed, live here 
in great numbers, snorting about in every direction, and by 
two species of crocodiles. In this quarter there are no ele- 
phants, for the very simple reason that they have no place of 
retreat during the night ; for this immense animal (at least in 
Africa) appears to be very sensible of the convenience of a 
soft couch in the sand, and of the inconvenience of mosquitoes 
too ; wherefore it prefers to lie down on a spot a little elevated 
above the swampy ground, whither it resorts for its daily food. 
On the banks of the northern part of the Tsad, on the contrary, 
where a range of low sand-hills and wood encompasses the 
lagoon, we meet with immense herds of this animal. 

Ngdlbea was the easternmost point of our excursion ; and, 



192 maduwa'ri. 

turning here a little west from north, we continued our march 
over drier pasture-grounds, placed beyond the reach of the in- 
undation, and after about three miles reached the deeply-in- 
dented and well-protected creek called "Ngomaren." Here 
I was most agreeably surprised by the sight of eleven boats of 
the Yedina. Large, indeed, they were, considering the ship- 
building of these islanders ; but otherwise they looked very 
small and awkward, and, resting quite flat on the water, strik- 
ingly reminded me of theatrical exhibitions in which boats are 
introduced on the stage. They were not more than about 
twenty feet long, but seemed tolerably broad ; and one of them 
contained as many as eleven people, besides a good quantity 
of natron and other things. They had a very low waist, but 
rather a high and pointed prow. They are made of the narrow 
boards of the fogo-tree, which are fastened together with ropes 
from the diim-palm, the holes being stopped with bast. 

We now rode on to another creek called Mellela, whence we 
turned westward, and in about an hour, partly through water, 
partly over a grassy plain, reached Maduwari. 

Maduwari, at that time, was an empty sound for me — a name 
without a meaning, just like the names of so many other places 
at which I had touched on my wanderings ; but it was a name 
about to become important in the history of the expedition, to 
which many a serious remembrance was to be attached. Madu- 
wari was to contain another white man's grave, and thus to 
rank with Ngurutuwa. 

When I first entered the place from the side of the lake, it 
made a very agreeable impression upon me, as it showed evi- 
dent signs of ease and comfort, and, instead of being closely 
packed together, as most of the towns and villages of the 
Kanuri are, it lay dispersed in eleven or twelve separate clus- 
ters of huts, shaded by a rich profusion of korna and bito- 
trees. I was conducted by my companion, Kashella Kdtoko, 
to the house of Fiigo 'Ali. It was the house wherein Mr. 
Overweg, a year and a half later, was to expire ; while Fiigo 
'Ali himself, the man who first contracted friendship with me, 
then conducted my companion on his interesting navigation 




-_ 



Wam^A 



..,'i. 



■ — > 




(104) 



ko'gora'm 195 

round the islands of the lake, and who frequented our house, 
was destined to fall a sacrifice in the revolution of 1854. How 
different was my reception then, when I first went to his house 
on this my first excursion to the lake, and when I revisited it 
with Mr. Yogel in the beginning of 1855, when Fiigo 'Ali's 
widow was sobbing at my side, lamenting the ravages of time, 
the death of my companion, and that of her own husband. 

The village pleased me so much that I took a long walk 
through it before I sat down to rest ; and after being treated 
most sumptuously with fowls and a roasted sheep, I passed the 
evening very agreeably in conversation with my black friends. 

They gave me the first account of the islands of the lake, 
stating that the open water, which in their language is called 
"Kalilemma," or rather Kiilukeme, begins one day's voyage 
from Kaya, the small harbor of Maduwari, stretching in the 
direction of Shawi, and that the water is thenceforth from one 
to *two fathoms deep. I invariably understood from all the 
people with whom I spoke about this interesting lake, that the 
open water, with its islands of elevated sandy downs, stretches 
from the mouth of the Shary toward the western shore, and 
that all the rest of the lake consists of swampy meadow-lands, 
occasionally inundated. 

Sunday, April Vftth. Before sunrise we were again in the 
saddle, accompanied by Fiigu or Piifo ■ Ali, who had his double 
pair of small drums with him, and looked well on his stately 
horse. 

We now left Maduwari, and after a little while passed an- 
other village called Ddgoji, when we came to a large hamlet or 
"bed" of Kanembii cattle-breeders, who had the care of 
almost all the cattle of the villages along the shores of the lake, 
which is very credibly reported to amount together to eleven 
thousand head. 

Having here indulged in a copious draught of fresh milk, we 
resumed our march, turning to the eastward ; and, having 
passed through deep water, we reached the creek " Kdgoram," 
surrounded by a dense belt of tall rushes of various kinds. 
We were just about to leave this gulf, when we were joined by 



196 ka'wa. 

Zintelma, another Kanemma chief, wno ever afterward re- 
mained attached to myself and Mr. Ov«:weg, with five horsemen. 
Our troop having thus increased, we went on cheerfully to an- 
other creek called Tabiram, whence we galloped toward Bole, 
trying in vain to overtake a troop of antelopes, which rushed 
headlong into the water and disappeared in the jungle. 
Before, however, we could get to this latter place, we had to 
pass very deep water, which covered my saddle, though I was 
mounted on a tall horse, and swamped altogether my poor 
Bii-S'ad on his pony ; nothing but his head and his gun were 
to be seen for a time. But it was worth while to reach the 
spot which we thus attained at the widest creek of the lake as 
yet seen by me — a fine, open sheet of water, the surface of 
which, agitated by a light east wind, threw its waves upon the 
shore. All around was one forest of reeds of every descrip- 
tion, while the water itself was covered with water-plants, 
chiefly the water-lily, or Nymphcea lotus. Numberless flocks 
of water-fowl of every description played about. The creek 
has an angular form, and its recess, which makes a deep in- 
dentation from E. 30° N. to W. 30° S., is named Nghelle. 

Passing over fields planted with cotton and beans, but with- 
out native corn, which is not raised here at all, we reached 
Kawa after an hour's ride, while we passed on our left a small 
swamp. Kawa is a large, straggling village. What to me 
seemed the most interesting objects were the splendid trees 
adorning the place. The sycamore under which our party was 
desired to rest in the house of Fiigo 'Ali's sister was most mag- 
nificent, and afforded the most agreeable resting-place possible, 
the space overshadowed by the crown of the tree being en- 
closed with a separate fence, as the " fage " or place of meet- 
ing. Here we were feasted with water mixed with pounded 
argum, sour milk, and meat, and then continued our march to 
Kukawa, where we arrived just as the vizier was mounting on 
horseback to go to the sheikh. Galloping up to him, we paid 
him our respects, and he expressed himself well pleased with 
me. My companions told him that we had been swimming 
about in the lake for the last two days, and that I had written 



PARTS FROM MOHAMMED EL GATRO'NI. 197 

down everything. The whole cavalcade, consisting of eight 
horsemen, then accompanied me to my house, where I gave 
them a treat. 

I returned just in time from my excursion, for the next day 
the caravan for Fezzan encamped outside the town, and I had 
to send off two of my men with it. One of them was the car- 
penter Ibrahim, a handsome young man, but utterly unfit for 
work, of whom I was extremely glad to get rid ; the other was 
Mohammed el Gatrdni, my faithful servant from Miirzuk, whom 
I dismissed with heartfelt sorrow. He had a very small salary, 
and I therefore promised to give him four Spanish dollars a 
month, and to mount him on horseback, but it was all in vain ; 
he was anxious to see his wife and children again, after which 
he promised to come back. I therefore, like the generals of 
ancient Rome, gave him leave of absence — "pueris procrean- 
dis daret operam. " 

•On the other side, it was well worth a sacrifice to send a 
trustworthy man to Fezzan. The expedition had lost its di- 
rector, who alone was authorized to act in the name of the 
government which had sent us out ; we had no means what- 
ever, but considerable debts, and, without immediate aid by 
fresh supplies, the surviving members could do no better than 
to return home as soon as possible. Moreover, there were Mr. 
Richardson's private things to be forwarded, and particularly 
his journal, which, from the beginning of the journey down to 
the very last days of his life, he had kept with great care — 
more fortunate he, and more provident in this respect than my 
other companion, who laughed at me when, during moments 
of leisure, I finished the notes which I had briefly written down 
during the march, and who contended that nothing could be 
done in this respect till after a happy return home. I there- 
fore provided Mohammed, upon whose discretion and fidelity 
I could entirely rely, with a camel, and entrusted to him all 
Mr. Richardson's things and my parcel of letters, which he 
was to forward by the courier, who is generally sent on by the 
caravan after its arrival in the Tebu country. 

There were two respectable men with the caravan, Haj Ha- 
lt* 



198 MOHAMMED TITl'WI. 

san, a man belonging to the family of El Kanemi, and in whose 
company Mr. Yogel afterward travelled from Fezzan to Bornu, 
and Mohammed Titiwi. On the second of May, therefore, I 
went to pay a visit to these men, but found only Titiwi, to 
whom I recommended ray servant. He promised to render 
him all needful assistance. I had but little intercourse with 
this man, yet this little occurred on important occasions, and 
so his name has become a pleasant remembrance to me. I 
first met him when sending off the literary remains of my un- 
fortunate companion. I at the same time ventured to intro- 
duce myself to her majesty's government, and to try if it would 
so far rely upon me, a foreigner, as to intrust me with the fur- 
ther direction of the expedition, and to ask for means ; it was 
then Titiwi again who brought me the most honorable dis- 
patches from the British government, authorizing me to carry 
out the expedition just as it had been intended, and at the 
same time means for doing so. It was Titiwi who, on the day 
when I was leaving Kukawa on my long, adventurous journey 
to Timbuktu, came to my house to wish me success in my ar- 
duous undertaking ; and it was Titiwi again who, on the second 
of August, 1855, came to the consul's house in Tripoli to con- 
gratulate me on my successful return from the interior. 

In the afternoon of the fifth of May we had the first unmis- 
takable token of the rainy season — a few heavy claps of thun- 
der followed by rain. But I did not tarry ; the very same day 
I bought in the market all that was necessary for my journey, 
and the next day succeeded in purchasing a very handsome 
and strong gray horse, "keri bul," for twelve hundred and 
seventy rotls, equal at that moment to two-and-thirty Austrian 
dollars, while I sold my weak horse which the sheikh had given 
me for nine hundred rotls, or twenty -two dollars and a half. 

Having also bought an Arab saddle, I felt myself quite a 
match for anybody, and hearing in the afternoon that the sheikh 
had gone to Gawange, a place two miles and a half east from 
the town toward the lake, I mounted my new steed, and setting 
off at a gallop, posted myself before the palace just when 
'Omar was about to come out with the flourishing of the trum- 



overweg's arrival. 199 

pets, sounding the Hausa word "gashi, gashi," "here he is, 
here he is." The sheikh was very handsomely dressed in a 
fine white bernus, over another of light blue color, and very 
well mounted on a fine black horse, "fir kera." He was 
accompanied by several of his and the vizier's courtiers, and 
about two hundred horsemen, who were partly riding by his 
side, partly galloping on in advance and returning again to 
the rear, while sixty slaves, wearing red jackets over their 
shirts, and armed with matchlocks, ran in front of and behind 
his horse. The vizier, who saw me first, saluted me very 
kindly, and sent Hamza Weled el Gdni to take me to the 
sheikh, who made a halt, and asked me very graciously how I 
was going on, and how my excursion to the lake had amused 
me. Having then taken notice of my sprightly horse, the 
vizier called my servant, and expressed his regret that the 
horse which they had presented to me had not proved good, 
saying that I ought to have informed them, when they would 
have given me a better one. I promised to do so another 
time, and did not forget the warning. 

Wednesday, May *lth. Mr. Overweg arrived. He looked 
greatly fatigued and much worse than when I left him, four 
months ago, at Tasawa ; indeed, as he told me, he had been 
very sickly in Zinder — so sickly that he had been much afraid 
lest he should soon follow Mr. Richardson to the grave. % Per- 
haps the news which he just then heard of our companion's 
death made him more uneasy about his own illness. However, 
we were glad to meet him alive, and expressed our hopes to 
be able to do a good deal for the exploration of these coun- 
tries. 

Mr. Overweg was, in some respects, very badly off, having 
no clothes with him but those which he actually wore, all his 
luggage being still in Kand, though he had sent two men to 
fetch it. I was therefore obliged to lend him my own things, 
and he took up his quarters in another part of our house, 
though it was rather small for our joint establishment. The 
vizier was very glad of his arrival, and, in fulfilment of his en- 
gagement to deliver all the things left by Mr. Richardson as 



200 PRESENTS TO THE SHEIKH AND VIZIER. 

soon as Mr. Overweg should arrive, he sent all the half-empty 
boxes of our late companion in the evening of the next day; 
even the gun and pistols, and the other things which had been 
sold, were returned, with the single exception of Mr. Richard- 
son's watch, which, as the sheikh was very fond of it, and kept 
it near him night and day, I thought it prudent to spare him 
the mortification of returning. 

Mr. Overweg and I, having then made a selection from the 
articles that remained to us, presented to the vizier, on the 
morning of the 9th, those destined for him, and in the after- 
noon we presented the sheikh with his share. 

We now spoke also about the treaty, the negotiation of 
which, we said, had been specially intrusted to our companion, 
but now, by his death, had devolved on us. Both of them 
assured us of their ardent desire to open commercial inter- 
course with the English, but at the same time they did not con- 
ceal that their principal object in so doing was to obtain fire- 
arms. They also expressed their desire that two of their people 
might return with us to England, in order to see the country 
and its industry, which we told them we were convinced would 
be most agreeable to the British government. Our conversa- 
tion was so unreserved and friendly, that the sheikh himself 
took the opportunity of excusing himself for having appro- 
priated Mr. Richardson's watch. 

The much-desired moment of my departure for Adamawa 
drew nearer and nearer. The delay of my starting on this un- 
dertaking, occasioned by the late arrival of Mr. Overweg, had 
been attended with the great advantage that, meanwhile, some 
messengers of the governor of that country had arrived, in 
whose company, as they were returning immediately, I was 
able to undertake the journey with a much better prospect of 
success. The subject of their message was that Kashella 'All 
Ladan, on his late predatory incursion into the Marghi coun- 
try, had enslaved and carried away inhabitants of several 
places to which the Governor of Adamawa laid claim, and it 
was more in order to establish his right than from any real 
concern in the fate of these unfortunate creatures that he was 



EXTRACTS FROM DISPATCH. 201 

pleased to lay great stress upon the case. Indeed, as the 
sequel shows, his letter must have contained some rather harsh 
or threatening expressions, to which the ruler of Bdrnu was not 
inclined to give way, though he yielded* to the justice of the 
specific claim. At first these messengers from Adamawa were 
to be my only companions besides my own servants, and on 
the 21st of May I was officially placed under their protection, 
in the house of the sheikh, and the messengers promised to see 
me safe to their country, and to provide for my safe return. 

* I will here give verbatim a few extracts of my dispatch to govern- 
ment, dated Kukawa, May 24, 1851, from which it will be seen how sure 
I was already at that time of the immense importance of the river which 
I was about to discover. 

" My Lord — I have the honor to inform your lordship that, on Tues- 
day next, I am to start for Adamawa, as it is called by the Fellatah (Ful- 
lan), or Fumbina, a very extensive country, whose capital, Y61a, is dis- 
tant from here fifteen days S.S.W., situated on a very considerable river 
called Faro, which, joining another river not less considerable, and like- 
wise navigable, called B6nuwe\ falls into the Kwara, or Niger, at a place 
between Kakanda and Adda, not more than a few days distant from the 
mouth of that celebrated river." " My undertaking seemed to me the 
more worthy, as it has long been the intention of the government to explore 
that country ; for orders had been given to the Niger expedition to turn 
aside, if possible, from the course of that river, and to reach Bornu by a 
southern road, which, it was presumed, might be effected partly or en- 
tirely by water, &c. As for my part, I can at present certify, with the 
greatest confidence, that there is no connection whatever between those two 
rivers, the Chadda, which is identical with the Benuwe* on the one, and 
the Shari, the principal tributary of Lake Tsad, on the other side. 
Nevertheless, the Faro as well as the Benuwe* seem to have their sources 
to the E. of the meridian of Ktikawa ; and the river formed by these two 
branches being navigable for larger boats into the very heart of Ada- 
mawa, there will be a great facility for Europeans to enter that country 
after it shall have been sufficiently explored." After speaking of the 
northern road into the interior by way of Bilma, I concluded with these 
words : 

" By-and-by, I am sure a southern road will be opened into the heart ot 
Central Africa, but the time has not yet come." 



202 DEPARTURE FOR ADAMA'WA. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Dr. Barth sets out for Adama-wa — He reaches the confluence of the 
B6nuwe and Faro — His visit to Yola, the capital of Adamawa — His 
short residence there — His dismissal — His return to Ktikawa. 

After much delay, and having twice taken official leave of 
the sheikh in full state, I had at length the pleasure of seeing 
our little band ready for starting in the afternoon of Thursday, 
the 29th of May, 1851. Rather more, I think, with a view to 
his own interest than from any apprehension on my account, 
the sheikh informed me, in the last interview which I had with 
him, that he would send an officer along with me. This move 
puzzled me from the beginning, and caused me some misgiv- 
ing ; and there is not the least doubt, as the sequel will show, 
that to the company of this officer it must be attributed that I 
was sent back by Mohammed Lawl, the Governor of Adamawa, 
without being allowed to stay any time in the country ; but, 
for truth's sake, I must admit that if I had not been accompa- 
nied by this man it is doubtful whether I should have been 
able to overcome the very great difficulties and dangers which 
obstruct this road. 

Thursday, May 29th. At four o'clock in the afternoon I 
left the southern gate of Kiikawa, on my adventurous journey 
to Adamawa. My little troop was not yet all collected ; for, 
being extremely poor at the time, or rather worse than poor, 
as I had nothing but considerable debts, I had cherished the 
hope that I should be able to carry all my luggage on one 
camel ; but when the things were all packed up — provisions, 
cooking utensils, tent, and a few presents — I saw that the one 
weak animal which I had was not enough, and bought another 
of Mr. Overweg, which had first to be fetched from the pas- 
ture-ground. I therefore left two servants and my old expe- 



THE ROAD SOUTHWARD. 203 

rienced Hausa warrior, the M'allem Katiiri, whom I had ex- 
pressly hired for this journey, behind me in the town, in order 
to follow us in the night with the other camel. 

Mr. Overweg, attended by a spirited little fellow named 'AH, 
a native of Ghat, who had brought his luggage from Kand, 
accompanied me. But the most conspicuous person in our 
troop was Billama, the officer whom the sheikh had appointed 
to accompany me, a tall, handsome Bdrnu man, mounted on a 
most splendid gray horse of great size and of a very quick 
pace. He had two servants with him, besides a man of Mala 
Ibram, likewise mounted on horseback, who was to accompany 
us as far as the Marghi country. The messengers from Ada- 
mawa, as we proceeded onward, gradually collected together 
from the hamlets about, where they had been waiting for us, 
and the spearmen among them saluted me by raising their 
spears just in my face, and beating their small, round hippo- 
potamus shields ; Mohammedu was armed with a sword and 
bow and arrows. 

As soon as I had left the town behind me, and saw that I 
was fairly embarked in my undertaking, I indulged in the most 
pleasant feelings. I had been cherishing the plan of pene- 
trating into those unknown countries to the south for so long a 
time, that I felt the utmost gratification in being at length 
able to carry out my design. At that time I even cherished 
the hope that I might succeed in reaching Baya, and thus ex- 
tend my inquiries as far as the equator ; but my first design 
was, and had always been, to decide by ocular evidence the 
question with regard to the direction and the tributaries of the 
great river which flowed through the country in the south. 

Leaving the Ngornu road to our left, we reached the village 
Karba at sunset. 

Friday, May 30th. At an early hour we were ready to re- 
sume our march, not having even pitched a tent during the 
night. 

After only four hours' march we halted near the village 
Pirtwa, as Mr. Overweg was now to return, and as I wished 
my other people to come up. Having long tried in vain to 



204 ARRIVAL AT 1TBA. 

buy some provisions with our"kiingona" or shells, Mr.* Over- 
weg at length succeeded in purchasing a goat with his ser- 
vant's shirt. This article, even if much worn, is always re- 
garded as ready money in the whole of Xegroland, and as 
long as a man has a shirt he is sure not to starve. Afterward, 
the inhabitants of the village brought us several bowls of 
"birrhi," or porridge of Negro corn, and we employed our- 
selves in drinking coffee and eating till it was time for Mr. 
Overweg to depart, when we separated with the most hearty 
wishes for the success of each other's enterprise ; for we had 
already fully discussed his undertaking to navigate the lagoon 
in the English boat. 

We then started at a later hour, and, following a more west- 
erly path, took up our night's quarters at Dy'nnamari, the vil- 
lege of Dy r nnama or A'made. 

Continuing our march in the afternoon, after the heat had 
decreased, we passed, after about four miles, the first encamp- 
ment of Shiiwa, or beri Shiiwabe, which I had yet seen in the 
country. Shiiwa is a generic name, denoting all the Arabs 
(or rather eastern Arabs) settled in Bdrnu, and forming a com- 
ponent part of the population of the country ; in Bagirmi they 
are called Shiwa. No Arab from the coast is ever denoted by 
this name, but his title is Wasiri or Wasili. 

[Pursuing his route without any incidents of special inte- 
rest, Dr. Barth reached Uba, the frontier town of Adamawa, 
on the 10th of June, and eight days afterwards he reached the 
Benuwe river, one of the most cherished objects of this journey 
to Adamawa.] 

Wednesday, June 18th. At an early hour we left the inhos- 
pitable place of Sulleri. It was a beautiful fresh morning, all 
nature being revived and enlivened by the last night's storm. 
My companions, sullen and irritated, quarrelled among them, 
selves. As for myself, I was cheerful in the extreme, and borne 
away by an enthusiastic and triumphant feeling, for to-day I 
was to see the river. 

The neighborhood of the water was first indicated by num- 

* [Overweg was a physician, and is always called Dr. in Mr. Richard- 
son's journal. — Ed.] 



MOUNT ALANTl'KA AND THE BE'nUWE'. 205 

bers of high ant-hills, which, as I shall have occasion to observe 
more fully in the course of my narrative, abound chiefly in the 
neighborhood of rivers : they were here ranged in almost 
parallel lines, and afforded a very curious spectacle. We had 
just passed a small village or rumde, where not a living soul 
was to be seen, the people having all gone forth to the labors 
of the field, when the lively Mohammedu came running up to 
me, and exclaimed "Gashi, gashi, dutsi-n-Alantika ke nan" 
'(" Look ! look ! that is Mount Alantika"). I strained my eyes, 
and saw, at a great distance to the S. W., a large but insulated 
mountain mass, rising abruptly on the east side, and forming a 
more gradual slope toward the west, while it exhibited a rather 
smooth and broad top, which certainly must be spacious, as it 
contains the estates of seven independent pagan chiefs. Judging 
from the distance, which was pretty well known to me, I esti- 
mated the height of the mountain at about eight thousand feet 
of absolute elevation ; but it may be somewhat less. 

Here there was still cultivated ground, exhibiting at present 
the finest crop of masr, called " butali" by the Fulbe of A'da- 
mawa ; but a little farther on we entered upon a swampy plain 
(the savannas of A'damawa), overgrown with tall rank grass, 
and broken by many large hollows full of water, so that we 
were obliged to proceed with great caution. This whole plain 
is annually (two month's later) entirely under water. However, 
in the middle of it, on a little rising ground, which looks as if 
it were an artificial mound, lies a small village, the abode of 
the ferryman of the Ben u we, from whence the boys came run- 
ning after us — slender, well-built lads, accustomed to fatigue, 
and strengthened by daily bathing ; the younger ones quite 
naked, the elder having a leathern apron girt round their loins. 
A quarter of an hour afterward we stood on the bank of the 
Benuwe. 

It happens but rarely that a traveller does not feel disap- 
pointed when he first actually beholds the principal features of 
a new country, of which his imagination has composed a picture, 
from the description of the natives ; but, although I must admit 
that the shape and size of the Alantika, as it rose in rounded 
18 



206 THE te'pe. 

lines from the flat level, did not exactly correspond with the 
idea which I had formed of it, the appearance of the river far 
exceeded my most lively expectations. None of my informants 
had promised me that I should just come upon it at that most 
interesting locality — the Tepe — where the mightier river is 
joined by another of very considerable size, and that in this 
place I was to cross it. My arrival at this point was a 
most fortunate circumstance. As I looked from the bank over 
the scene before me, I was quite enchanted, although the whole 
country bore the character of a desolate wilderness ; but there 
could scarcely be any great traces of human industry near 
the river, as during its floods it inundates the whole country 
on both sides. This is the general character of all the great 
rivers in these regions, except where they are encompassed by 
very steep banks. 

The principal river, the Benuwe, flowed here from east to 
west, in a broad and majestic course, through an entirely open 
country, from which only here and there detached mountains 
started forth. The banks on our side rose to twenty-five, and 
in some places to thirty feet, while just opposite to my station, 
behind a pointed headland of sand, the Faro rushed forth, ap- 
pearing from this point not much inferior to the principal river, 
and coming in a fine sweep from the southeast, where it disap- 
peared in the plain, but was traced by me, in thought, upward 
to the steep eastern foot of the Alantika. The river, below the 
junction, keeping the direction of the principal branch, but 
making a slight bend to the north, ran along the northern foot 
of Mount Bagele, and was there lost to the eye, but was fol- 
lowed in thought through the mountainous region of the 
Bachama and Zina to Hamarruwa, and thence along the in- 
dustrious country Kordrofa, till it joined the great western 
river, the Kwara or Niger, and, conjointly with it, ran toward 
the great ocean. 

On the northern side of the river another detached mountain, 
Mount Taife, rose, and behind it the Bengo, with which Mount 
Furo seemed connected, stretching out in a long line toward 
the northwest. The bank upon which we stood was entirely 



207 

bare of trees, with the exception of a solitary and poor acacia, 
about one hundred paces farther up the river, while on the 
opposite shore, along the Faro and below the junction, some 
fine clusters of trees were faintly seen. 

I looked long and silently upon the stream ; it was one of 
the happiest moments in my life. Born on the bank of a large 
navigable river, in a commercial place of great energy and life, 
I had from my childhood a great predilection for river scenery ; 
and although plunged for many years in the too exclusive study 
of antiquity, I never lost this native instinct. As soon as I 
left home, and became the independent master of my actions, 
I began to combine travel with study, and to study while 
travelling, it being my greatest delight to trace running waters 
from their sources, and to see them grow into brooks, to follow 
the brooks and see them become rivers, till they at last disap- 
peared in the all-devouring ocean. I had wandered all around 
the Mediterranean, with its many gulfs, its beautiful peninsulas, 
its fertile islands — not hurried along by steam, but slowly 
wandering from place to place, following the traces of the 
settlements of the Greeks and Romans around this beautiful 
basin, once their terra incognita. And thus, when entering 
upon the adventurous career in which I subsequently engaged, 
it had been the object of my most lively desire to throw light 
upon the natural arteries and hydrographical network of the 
unknown regions of Central Africa. The great eastern branch 
of the Niger was the foremost to occupy my attention ; and, 
although for some time uncertain as to the identity of the river 
of A'damawa with that laid down in its lower course by 
Messrs. W. Allen, Laird, and Oldfield, I had long made up 
my mind on this point, thanks to the clear information received 
from my friend Ahmed bel Mejiib. I had now with my own 
eyes, clearly established the direction and nature of this mighty 
river, and to an unprejudiced mind there could no longer be 
any doubt that this river joins the majestic water-course ex- 
plored by the gentlemen just mentioned.* Hence I cherish the 

* That this river is anywhere called Chadda, or even Tsadda, I doubt 
very much ; and I am surprised that the members of the late expedition 



208 CANOES. 

well-founded conviction that along this natural high road 
European influence and commerce will penetrate into the very 
heart of the continent, and abolish slavery, or, rather, those 
infamous slave-hunts and religious wars, destroying the natural 
germs of human happiness which are spontaneously developed 
in the simple life of the pagans, and spreading devastation and 
desolation all around. 

We descended toward the place of embarkation, which, at 
this season of the year, changes every week, or even more fre- 
quently. At present it was at the mouth of a small, deeply- 
worn channel or dry water-course, descending from the swampy 
meadow-grounds toward the river, and filled with tall reed- 
grass and bushes. Here was the poor little naval arsenal of 
the Tepe, consisting of three canoes, two in good repair, and 
a third one in a state of decay and unfit for service. 

It was now that for the first time I saw these rude little 
shells, hollowed out of a single trunk — for the boats of the 
Biidduma are more artificial, being made of a number of boards 
joined together ; and I soon began to eye these frail canoes 
with rather an anxious feeling, as I was about to trust myself 
and all my property to what seemed to offer very inadequate 
means of crossing with safety a large and deep river. They 
measured from twenty-five to thirty feet in length, and only 
from a foot to a foot and a half in height, and sixteen inches 
in width, and one of them was so crooked that I could scarcely 
imagine how it could stem the strong current of the river. 

On the river itself two canoes were plying, but, notwith- 
standing our repeated hallooing and firing, the canoemen would 
not come to our side of the river ; perhaps they were afraid. 
Roving about along the bushy water-course, I found an old 
canoe, which, being made of two very large trunks joined toge- 
ther, had been incomparably more comfortable and spacious 
than the canoes now in use, although the joints, being made 
with cordage, just like the stitching of a shirt, and without 

in the " Pleiad" do not say a word on this point. I think the name 
Chadda was a mere mistake of Lander's, confirmed by Allen, owing to 
their fancying it an outlet of Lake Tsad. 



A BATH.— GOLD. 209 

pitching the holes, which were only stuffed with grass, neces- 
sarily allowed the water to penetrate continually into the boat. 
It, however, had the great advantage of not breaking if it ran 
upon a rock, being in a certain degree, pliable. It was about 
thirty-five feet long, and twenty-six inches wide in the middle ; 
but it was now out of repair, and was lying upside down. 

The canoemen still delaying to come, I could not resist the 
temptation of taking a river-bath, a luxury which I had not 
enjoyed since bathing in the Eurymedon. The river is full of 
crocodiles, but there could be little danger from these animals 
after all our firing and the constant noise of so many people. 
I had not yet arrived at the conviction that river-bathing is 
not good for a European in a tropical climate ; but this was 
the first and last time that I bathed voluntarily, with a single 
exception ; for, when navigating the river of Logon on a fine 
day in March, 1852, I could not help jumping overboard, and 
on my return from Bagirmi, in August, 1853, I was obliged to 
do it. 

The bed of the river, after the first foot and a half, sloped 
down very gradually, so that at the distance of thirty yards 
from the shore I had not more than three feet and a half of 
water, but then it suddenly became deep. The current was so 
strong that I was unable to stem it ; but my original strength, 
I must allow, was at the time already greatly reduced. The 
only advantage which I derived from this feat was that of 
learning that the river carries gold with it ; for the people, as 
often as I dipped under water, cried out that I was searching 
for this metal, and when I came out of the water, were per- 
suaded that I had obtained plenty of it. However, the river 
was already too full for investigating this matter further. 

At length a canoe arrived, the largest of the two that were 
actually employed, and a long bargaining commenced with the 
eldest of the canoemen, a rather short and well-set lad. Of 
course, as the chief of the caravan, I had to pay for all ; and 
there being three camels and five horses to be carried over, it 
was certainly a difficult business. It cannot, therefore, be re- 
garded as a proof of exorbitant demands that I had to pay 
18* 



210 

five "ddras," a sum which in Kufcawa would buy two oxen 
loads of Indian corn. I allowed all the people to go before 
me, in order to prevent the canoemen from exacting something 
more from them. 

There was considerable difficulty with my large camel-bags, 
which were far too large for the canoes, and which several 
times were in danger of being upset ; for they were so unsteady 
that the people were obliged to kneel down on the bottom, and 
keep their equilibrium by holding with both hands on the sides 
of the boat. Fortunately, I had laid my tent-poles at the 
bottom of the canoe, so that the water did not reach the lug- 
gage. The horses, as they crossed, swimming by the sides of 
the canoe, had to undergo great fatigue ; but desperate was 
the struggle of the camels, which were too obstinate to be 
guided by the frail vessels, and had to be pushed through 
alone, and could only be moved by the most severe beating. 
At length they were induced to cross the channel, the current 
carrying them down to a great distance, and our whole party 
arrived safe on the sandy beach of the headland, where there 
was not a bit of shade. This whole headland for two or three 
months every year is covered with water, although its chief 
part, which was overgrown with tall reed-grass, was at present 
about fifteen feet above the surface. 

The river, where we crossed it, was, at the very least, eight 
hundred yards broad, and in its channel generally eleven feet 
deep, and was liable to rise, under ordinary circumstances, at 
least thirty, or even at times fifty feet higher. Its upper course 
at that time was known to me, as far as the town of G-ewe on 
the road to Logon ; but farther on I had only heard from the 
natives that it came from the south, or rather from the S. S. E. 

It was a quarter before one o'clock when we left the beach 
in order to cross the second river, the Faro, which is stated to 
come from Mount Labul, about seven days' march to the south. 
It was at present about six hundred yards broad, but gene- 
rally not exceeding two feet in depth, although almost all my 
informants, had stated to me that the Faro was the principal 
river. 



211 

The current of the Faro was extremely violent, far more so 
than that of the Benuwe, approaching, in my estimation, a rate 
of about five miles, while I would rate the former at about 
three and a half miles an hour, the current of the Faro plainly 
indicating that the mountainous region whence it issued was at 
no great distance. In order to avoid the strongest part of the 
current, which swept along the southern shore, we kept close 
to a small island, which, however, at present could still be 
reached from this side with dry feet. We then entered upon 
low meadow-land, overgrown with tall-reed grass, which a 
month later is entirely inundated to such a depth that only the 
crowns of the tallest trees are seen rising above the water, of 
which they bore unmistakable traces, the highest line thus 
marked being about fifty feet above the present level of the 
river ; for of course the inundation does not always reach the 
same height, but varies according to the greater or less abun- 
dance of the rains. The information of my companions, as 
well as the evident marks on the ground, left not the least 
doubt about the immense rise of these rivers. 

On leaving the outer bank of the river our way led through 
a fine park-like plain, dotted with a few mimosas of middling 
size, and clear of underwood. The sides of the path were 
strewn with skeletons of horses, marking the line followed by 
the late expedition of the Governor of Yola, on its return from 
Lere, or the Mbana country. Having then entered upon culti- 
vated ground, we reached the first cluster of huts of the large, 
straggling village Chabajaure or Chabajaule, situated in a 
most fertile and slightly undulating tract, and, having kept 
along it for little less than a mile and a half, we took up our 
quarters in a solitary and secluded cluster of huts, including a 
very spacious court-yard. 

Thursday, June l§th. We started early in the morning, 
continuing along the straggling hamlets and rich corn-fields of 
Chabajaule for a mile and a half, when we passed two slave- 
villages or "nimde" belonging to a rich Piillo of the name of 
Hanuri. We passed the large village of Dull, and, having 



212 ARRIVAL AT YO r LA. 

descended and reascended again, we obtained a most beautiful 
view near the village Gurore, which lies on rising ground. 

While marching along at a good pace, Mohamniedu walked 
up to me, and, with a certain feeling of pride, showed me his 
fields. Though a poor man, he was master of three slaves, a 
very small fortune in a conquered and newly-colonized country 
like A'damawa, based entirely upon slavery, where many indi- 
viduals have each more than a thousand slaves. 

Friday, June 20th. We started early in order to reach the 
capital, if possible, before noon, and passed through several 
hamlets, all belonging to the extensive village or district of 
Ribiigo, and interrupted here and there by projecting masses 
of schistose rock, while the concavity between this rising 
ground and Mount Bagele was fast filling with the flood from 
the river, and presented already a considerable sheet of water. 
A little before noon, we reached the outskirts of the capital in 
a state of mind not exempt from anxious feeling. 

At length I had reached the capital of A'damawa, having 
had altogether a very lucky and successful journey ; but now 
all depended upon the manner in which I should be received in 
this place : for, although it was quite enough to have success- 
fully penetrated so far, after having discovered and crossed the 
upper course of that large river, about the identity of which 
with the Chadda there could be little doubt, I entertained the 
hope that I might be allowed to penetrate further south, and 
investigate at least part of the basin of the river. I had heard 
so much about the fertile character of those regions, that I was 
intensely desirous to see something of them. 

It was an unfavorable circumstance that we arrived on a 
Friday, and just during the heat of the day. The streets were 
almost deserted, and no person met us in order to impart to 
us, by a friendly welcome, a feeling of cheerfulness and con- 
fidence. 

Yola is a large open place, consisting, with a few exceptions, 
of conical huts surrounded by spacious court-yards, and even 
by corn-fields, the houses of the governor and those of his bro- 
thers being alone built of clay. Keeping along the principal 



RECEPTION IN YO'LA. 213 

street, we continued our march for a mile and a quarter before 
we reached the house of the governor, which lies on the west 
side of a small open area, opposite the mosque, a flat oblong 
building, or rather hall, inclosed with clay walls, and covered 
with a flat thatched roof a little inclined on one side. Having 
reached this place, my companions fired a salute, which, con- 
sidering the nature of Billama's mission, and the peculiar 
character of the governor, which this officer ought to have 
known, and perhaps also since it happened to be Friday, was 
not very judicious. 

Be this as it may, the courtiers or attendants of the governor, 
attracted by the firing, came out one after another, and in- 
formed us that their master must go to the mosque and say 
his mid-day prayers before he could attend to us or assign us 
quarters. We therefore dismounted and sat down in the 
scanty shade of a jeja or caoutchouc tree, which adorns the 
place between the palace and the mosque, while a great num- 
ber of people, amounting to several hundreds, gradually col- 
lected, all eager to salute me and shake hands with me. For- 
tunately, it was not long before Lowel came out from his 
palace and went into the mosque • and then I obtained a few 
moments' respite, the people all following him, with the excep- 
tion of the young ones, who very luckily found the camels a 
worthier object of their curiosity than myself. It had been my 
intention to salute the governor when he was crossing the 
place, but I was advised not to do so, as it might interfere 
with his devotional feelings. 

The prayer was short ; and when it was over I was sur- 
rounded by much larger numbers than before, and, being 
fatigued and hungry, I felt greatly annoyed by the endless 
saluting and shaking of hands. At length we were ordered to 
take up our quarters in the house of Ardo Ghammawa, a bro- 
ther of our fellow-traveller Ibrahima ; but this being close to 
the east end of the town, we were not much pleased with the 
arrangement, as it not only obliged us for the moment to re- 
turn the whole way we had come, but also, for the future, de- 
prived us of an unreserved and friendly intercourse with the 



214 PRESENTS TO ARDO GHA'jMMAWA. 

governor. This was not calculated to inspire us with confi- 
dence as to the success of our proceedings. 

It was past two o'clock in the afternoon when, at length, I 
reached my quarters and took possession of a large, well-venti- 
lated, and neat "zaure" or hall, the walls of which were all 
painted. In the inner court-yard there was also a very neat 
and snug little hut, but that was all, and we had great trouble 
in obtaining quarters for Bii-S'ad and the m'allem in some of 
the neighboring court-yards. 

Saturday, June 21s£. In the morning I selected my pre- 
sents for the governor, the principal part of which consisted of 
a very handsome red cloth berniis, which we had found among 
the things left by the late Mr. Richardson ; but when we were 
ready to go we received the information that Lowel was in his 
fields, and that we could not see him. I presented our host, 
the Ardo Ghammawa, with a fine "elephant shirt" — that is 
to say, one of those enormous wide black shirts made only in 
Nupe, and which was one of the few articles which I had been 
able to provide in Kano for the furtherance of my plans. The 
family of the Ardo had formerly been settled in Ghammawa, in 
the south-western province of Bornu, but, when the Fulbe 
were driven back from that country, emigrated and settled 
here. But this man still bears the title "Ardo Ghammawa" — 
the mayor of (the Fulbe community of) Ghammawa. 

Having been told that the governor had returned to his 
palace, we mounted on horseback about ten o'clock, and, pre- 
ceded by the Ardo Ghammawa, returned the long way to the 
lamdrde or palace ; but, after waiting on the damp ground, 
exposed to the sun, for more than an hour, we were told that 
we could not see him, and were obliged to return with our 
present. I was greatly vexed, and felt, in consequence, my 
fever increasing, especially as another very heavy storm broke 
out in the afternoon, when the- air became quite chilly. 

Sunday, June 22d. In consequence of the information re- 
ceived from Ardo Ghammawa that to-day we were certainly to 
see the governor, we got ready at an early hour, taking with 
us also a present for his brother Mansiir, who had made him- 



THE AUDIENCE. 215 

self expressly a candidate for a present by sending me, the day 
before, a small pot of honey. While we were passing his 
house, he was coming out to pay his respects to his brother. 
"We made a short halt, and exchanged compliments with him ; 
and, when, on reaching the area before the governor's house, 
we had dismounted, and were sitting down in the shade of the 
tree, he walked most benignly and frankly up, and sat down in 
front of me. We then entered the palace ; and having waited 
a short time in the segifa or zaure, which here was formed by 
a spacious flat-roofed room, supported by massive square pil- 
lars, we were called into the presence of the governor. 

Mohammed Lowel, son of M'allem A'dama, was sitting in a 
separate hall, built of clay, and forming, for this country, quite 
a noble mansion. From without, especially, it has a stately, 
castle-like appearance, while inside the hall was rather en- 
croached upon by quadrangular pillars, two feet in diameter, 
w T hich supported the roof, about sixteen feet high, and consist- 
ing of a rather heavy entablature of poles, in order to with- 
stand the violence of the rains. The governor was very simply 
dressed, and had nothing remarkable in his appearance, while 
his face, which was half covered by a somewhat dirty shawl, 
had an indifferent expression. Besides him there was none 
present but Mansiir and a m'allem. 

Having, as the first European that had ever visited his 
country with the distinct purpose to enter into friendly rela- 
tions with him, paid him my respects on behalf of my country- 
men, I delivered my letter of introduction from Sheikh 'Omar, 
who in a few but well-chosen lines introduced me to him as a 
learned and pious Christian, who wandered about to admire 
the works of the Almighty Creator, and on this account che- 
rished an ardent desire to visit also A'damawa, of the wonders 
of which I had heard so much. Lowel read it, and evidently 
not quite displeased with its contents, although he took um- 
brage at some of the expressions, handed it silently over to the 
m'allem and Mansiir. Hereupon Billama delivered his letters, 
of which noli only the contents, but even the very existence 
had been totally unknown to me. They were three in number, 



216 ORDERED TO RETURN. 

one from the sheikh himself, one from Mala Ibram, the former 
possessor of the southern province of Bornu, and one from 
Kashella 'Ali Dendal, or Ladan, the officer who by his late 
predatory incursion had given grounds for complaint. 

As soon as these various letters were read, all of which laid 
claim, on the side of Bornu, to the territory of Kdfa and 
Kobchi, a storm arose, and in a fit of wrath Lowel reproached 
my companion with daring to come forward with such preten- 
sions — he, who was himself well acquainted with the country 
and with the point in dispute. If Sheikh 'Omar wished for 
discord, well ; he was ready, and they would harass each 
other's frontier provinces by reciprocal incursions. Having 
given vent to his feelings toward Billama, his anger turned 
upon me ; and he told me to my face that I had quite different 
reasons for coming into his country from those stated in Sheikh 
'Omar's letter; referring to some ambiguous words in Mala 
Ibram's writing, in which that officer stated "that, with regard 
to me, the objects of my journey to A'damawa were a perfect 
secret to him." Now I must confess, after all my acquaint- 
ance with the politics of these people, and notwithstanding all 
Haj Beshir's kindness and benevolence toward me, that I think 
the Bornu diplomatists quite capable of a little double deal- 
ing ; that is to say, I suspect that they were willing to make 
use of me to frighten the Governor of A'damawa. Perhaps, 
also, they were afraid lest, if I should succeed in A'damawa, I 
might not return to their country. Viewing matters in this 
light, I wrote from Kiikawa, requesting her majesty's govern- 
ment to inform the Sheikh of Bornu that it was their distinct 
desire that we should penetrate onward, and that he would 
confer an obligation upon them by facilitating the execution 
of our plans. 

Be this as it may, after a long dispute with regard to the 
boundaries, in which my friend from Mokha, and a learned 
native of Waday, Mode 'Abd Allahi, who was employed by 
Lowel as a sort of secretary of state for foreign affairs, took 
part, I, with my party, was ordered to withdraw for a time. 
After sitting for full two hours on the damp ground outside, 



POLITICAL DISPUTES. 217 

we received an intimation that we might return home. Thus 
I had to return with my presents a second time to my quar- 
ters, and, of course, I was greatly vexed. However, several 
people who saw my emotion endeavored to console me ; and 
Mansiir, who, before we left, came out of his brother's 
audieuce-hall, entered into conversation with me, and assured 
me that this unkind treatment in no way related to me, but 
that it was only intended for Billama, the officer of Bdrnu. 
There was present also the very amiable m'allem whom I had 
met in Sarawu Fulfiilde, and who had come after us, and I felt 
sorry that I was not disposed to answer his well-meant dis- 
course in the manner it deserved. 

When we reached Mansiir's house he invited us to dis- 
mount, and, entering the interior of his wide and neat dwell- 
ing, we had a long and animated conversation, when I ex- 
plained to him in a deliberate manner that such treatment did 
not offend me on my own account, but on account of the go- 
vernment — the very first and most powerful in the world — 
which had sent me ; that, instead of coming with hostile inten- 
tions, as was imputed to me, I had come with the friendly 
design of paying my respects to the governor on behalf of the 
British sovereign, and to present him with a few specimens of 
our products and manufactures ; that I had, no doubt, at the 
same time an intense desire to see their country, as it was the 
avowed purpose of Europeans in general, and of the English 
in particular, to become acquainted and to open intercourse 
with all parts of God's creation. 

Mansur explained to me, in return, that they well knew that 
I had not come to make war upon them, although Lowel, in 
the first fit of his anger, scarcely seemed to suspect anything 
less than that, " but that they were vexed because I had come 
to them under the protection of the Bdrnu people, their ene- 
mies." A letter from the Sultan of Starabul, or even from 
my own sovereign, would have recommended me much more 
advantageously. The sheikh had expressly designated me as 
one recommended and protected by the Porte, and Bii-S'ad 
had mentioned, with a slight disregard of the real facts, that 
19 



218 mo'de 'abd-alla'hi. 

through inadvertence only I had left both letters, as well that 
from the Sultan of Stambul as from the English sovereign, in 
Kukawa. Now I certainly had with me a treaty written in 
Arabic, such as it was desirable that the Governor of A'da- 
mawa should subscribe ; but to produce this under existing 
circumstances would have been absurd, especially as it did not 
emanate directly from the government, and was not authenti- 
cated either by seal or in any other way, and I thought it better 
not to mention it. It was no bad policy on the part of Bii- 
S'ad to represent me as sent on a special mission by the British 
government to the Fulbe princes, and as obliged only by the 
death of my companion to deviate from my intended course in 
order to supply his place in Kiikawa. 

Monday having passed quietly, with the exception of a 
great many people calling for "lava " or charms, and for medi- 
cines, Tuesday, the 24th, arrived, when it was my destiny to 
leave this country, which I had but just entered, and to retrace 
my steps over the long and infested road which I had lately 
travelled. 

I felt tolerably well in the morning, but afterward became 
very ill, and, unfortunately, took too weak a dose of medicine. 
In this state I had a visit from two very handsome and amiable 
young Fulbe, and, in my rather morose mood, refused their 
urgent request, made in the most simple and confidential way, 
to say the " fat-ha," or the opening prayer of the Kuran, with 
them. I have always regretted my refusal, as it estranged from 
me a great many people ; and, although many Christians will 
object to repeat the prayer of another creed, yet the use of a 
prayer of so general import as the introductory chapter to the 
Kuran ought to be permitted to every solitary traveller in these 
regions, in order to form a sort of conciliatory link between 
him and the natives. 

After some other visitors had come and gone, I received, 
about ten o'clock, a formal visit from Mode 'Abd-Allahi, the 
foreign secretary, and my friend from Mokha, in the name of 
the governor. Having moistened their organs with a cup of 
coffee, they acquitted themselves of their message in the follow- 



THE MISSION REPULSED. 219 

ing terms : " The sultan " — all these provincial governors bear 
the title of sultan — " had ordered them," they said, " to beg 
me to accept his most respectful regards, and to inform me that 
he was nothing but a slave of the Sultan of Sdkoto, and that 
I was a far greater man than himself. As such a man had 
never before come to his country, he was afraid of his liege 
lord, and begged me to retrace my steps whither I had come ; 
but if, in course of time, I should return with a letter from 
Sokoto, he would receive me with open arms, would converse 
with me about all our science and about our instruments with- 
out reserve, and would show me the whole country," 

To this message, which was certainly couched in very modest 
and insinuating terms, I answered that Mohammed Lowel, so 
far from being a slave of the Sultan of Sokoto, was renowned 
far and wide as the almost independent governor of a large 
province ; that the fame of his father A'dama, as a nobly-born, 
learned Pullo, extended far and wide throughout Tekriir or 
Negroland, and had even reached our own country; that it was 
absurd to argue that I was greater than himself, and that on 
this account he could not receive me on his own responsibility, 
but was obliged to refer my suit to his liege lord in Sdkoto. 
I brought forward the examples of Katsena and Kand, espe- 
cially the latter place, in which, though it was the seat of a 
governor dependent on the Emir el Mumenin, in the same way 
as the Governor of A'damawa, I had long resided, without 
any representations being made to the sovereign lord. " Oh ! 
but the relations of Katsena and Kand," said the messengers' 
of the governor, " are entirely different from those of this pro- 
vince. These are large and busy thoroughfares for all the 
world, while A'damawa is a distant territory in the remotest 
corner of the earth, and still afresh, unconsolidated conquest." 
There was certainly some truth in this last remark ; and, what- 
ever I might say to the contrary, the question was decided, and 
all reasoning was in vain. 

The two messengers, having gone through their business in 
this way, informed me that they were only the forerunners of 
the real messenger, Mansiir, the brother of the governor. This 



220 THE PRESENT. 

was very pleasant news to me ; and although, after this shock 
of disappointment, I felt extremely ill and weak, I rose from my 
couch, and went to receive Mansur when he arrived at the door 
of the hut. He then officially, and in a very feeling manner, 
confirmed all that Mode 'Abd-AUahi and the sherif Mohammed 
had said, and expressed his deep regret that I was not allowed 
to stay. When he was going I handed to his servants the little 
presents destined for him, which consisted of twenty-five dr'a 
of striped Manchester, a pair of English razors, scissors, a 
looking-glass, a parcel of cloves, a little jawi or benzoin, and 
a small piece of camphor. 

Mansur had been gone a little while when I received inform- 
ation that the governor had sent me a horse and two slaves as 
a present, with an intimation that I might likewise let him have 
the present which T had brought with me for him. But this I 
refused to do, declaring that I could not, under the present 
circumstances, either accept from him or give him anything, 
not having come as a merchant to barter with him, but as the 
messenger of another powerful sovereign to treat with him on 
friendly terms. My servant, Bii-S'ad, who, in the covetous- 
ness of his heart, already fancied himself in the possession of 
the two slaves, whom he knew well I myself could not accept, 
but whom he thought I would give up to him, went so far as 
to declare that, as the present had come from my sovereign, I 
ha'd no alternative but to bestow it. But, seeing that I was 
firm, the messengers went away, and soon after a horseman 
arrived with the order for me to leave the town instantly. 

Meanwhile, during all this negotiation and dispute, I had be- 
come extremely weak, and the excitement had brought on a 
very severe fit of fever. Indeed, I scarcely thought that I 
should be able to sit on horseback and to bear the sun, it being 
then just noon, and the sun shining forth, with great power. 
Nevertheless, I got my things ready ; but having left my quar- 
ters a little too soon, and being obliged to wait some time for 
the other people, I became so weak that I could no longer keep 
on my feet, but lay down on the ground till my companions 
arrived. Sitting then firmly in my large Arab stirrups, and 



DEPARTURE FROM Yo'LA. 221 

holding on to the pommel, I proceeded ; and though I fainted 
twice, I soon regained some strength, a slight breeze having 
arisen, which greatly mitigated the burning heat. 

Numbers of people accompanied me, expressing their grief 
and sorrow at my abrupt departure. By my refusing to write 
laiya, or to say the fat-ha, I had estranged many a friendly- 
disposed native, and by my obstinacy I had incurred the dis- 
pleasure of their master, yet many of the people openly disap- 
proved of his conduct toward me. 

An immense quantity of rain having fallen during my stay 
here, the country appeared to me much more beautiful now 
than when we came, and full of fine cattle ; and I felt so re- 
freshed that I considered myself able to go as far as Ribago, a 
ride of six hours at a slow rate. 

Billama behaved exceedingly well ; for when my treacherous 
servant Bii-S 'ad, who was afraid lest Mohammed Lowel should 
WTeak his anger upon me on the road, intimated to him that 
" if any thing of that sort should happen, they, of course, were 
Moslemin" — thus indicating that they could not defend me 
against those of their own creed, but should leave me to my 
fate — he indignantly left his company and rode up to me. 
Thus, without any accident, except that all my luggage was 
once more wetted through while passing the deep water of the 
mayo Binti, we reached the friendly village, where, without 
ceremony, I took up my quarters in the well-known court-yard 
of our former host. But, before proceeding farther on my 
journey back, I must try to make the reader better acquainted 
with the country, though the abrupt way in which I was 
obliged to leave it allows me only, in most cases, to speak from 
the information of the natives. 

Yola is the capital of an extensive province, called by 
foreigners generally, and by the conquering Fiilbe in diplo- 
matic language, A'damawa, but the real name of which is 
Ftimbina. / Indeed, A'dauiawa is quite a new name given to 
the country (exactly as I stated in my report sent to Europe 
some years ago) in honor of M'allem A'dania, the father of 
the present governor, who succeeded in founding here a new 
19*' 



222 YO'LA. 

Mohammedan empire on the ruins of several smaller pagan 
kingdoms, the most considerable of which was that of Kokomi. 
Whether what the people used to say be true, that the name 
of the wife of this officer was A'dama too, I am not able posi- 
tively to decide. 

Ydla is quite a new settlement, called by this name after the 
princely quarter of the town of Kand, the former capital, of 
which Denham's expedition heard some faint report, being 
Giirin. Ydla is situated in a swampy plain, and is bordered 
on the north side by an inlet of the river, the inundation of 
which reached close to that quarter where I was living. The 
town is certainly not less than three miles long from east to 
west. It seems probable that there are different names for the 
different quarters, but my stay was too short to allow me to 
learn them. The court-yards are large and spacious, but often 
contain only a single hut, the whole area being sown with 
grain during the rainy season. All the huts are built with 
clay walls on account of the violence of the rains, and are tole- 
rably high. Only the governor and his elder brothers possess 
large establishments with dwellings built entirely of clay. Not- 
withstanding its size, the place can hardly contain more than 
twelve thousand inhabitants. 

It has no industry, and the market, at least during the time 
of my stay there, was most insignificant and miserably sup- 
plied ; but certainly during the season of field labor, as I have 
already had occasion to observe, all the markets in Negroland 
are less important than at other times of the year. The most 
common objects in the market, which find ready sale, are tiir- 
kedi, beads, and salt, while other articles, such as striped 
Manchester, calico, cloth bernuses, are generally sold privately 
to the wealthier people. The only articles of export at pre- 
sent are slaves and ivory. Four good turkedi, bought in 
Kand for 1800 or 2000 kurdi each, will generally purchase a 
slave, and a turkedi will often buy an elephant's tusk of tolera- 
ble size. 

Slavery exists on an immense scale in this country, and there 
are many private individuals who have more than a thousand 



EXTENT OF FU'mBINA'. 223 

slaves. In this respect the governor of the whole province is 
not the most powerful man, being outstripped by the governors 
of Chamba and Kdncha — for this reason, that Mohammed 
Lowel has all his slaves settled in riimde, or slave villages, 
where they cultivate grain for his use or profit, while the 
above-mentioned officers, who obtain all their provision in 
corn from subjected pagan tribes, have their whole host of 
slaves constantly at their disposal ; and I have been assured 
that some of the head slaves of these men have as many as a 
thousand slaves each under their command, with whom they 
undertake occasional expeditions for their masters. I have 
been assured, also, that Mohammed Lowel receives every year 
in tribute, besides horses and cattle, about five thousand slaves, 
though this seems a large number. 

The country of Fiimbina is about two hundred miles long in 
its greatest extent, running from southwest to northeast, while 
its shortest diameter seems to reach from northwest to south- 
east, and scarcely ever exceeds seventy or eighty miles ; but 
this territory is as yet far from being entirely subjected to the 
Mohammedan conquerors, who, in general, are only in posses- 
sion of detached settlements, while the intermediate country, 
particularly the more mountainous tracts, is still in the hands 
of the pagans. The people in this part of the country are en- 
gaged in constant warfare. While the country north from the 
Benuwe, between Ydla and Hamarruwa, is entirely independ- 
ent, and inhabited by warlike pagan tribes, the best-subjected 
tract seems to be that between the Wandala and the Miisgu 
country, where the settlements of the conquering tribe are very 
compact. 

[Dr. Barth was now obliged to retrace his steps from Ydla 
back to Kiikawa. He was accompanied by Billama, the agent 
of the Sheikh of Bdrnu, who had come to Ydla with him. 
No incident of importance took place on his return journey, 
during which he suffered considerably from the remains of a 
fever contracted in Yola. On the 20th of June he had nearly 
reached Kukawa.] 

June 20^/i. At an early hour in the afternoon, deviating a 



224 ka'ltltjwa' grf/mari'. 

little from the path, we turned into the village of Kaliluwa 
Gremari, which belongs to 'Abd e' Rahman, the second 
brother of Sheikh 'Omar, and found the male inhabitants of 
the village sitting in the shade of a chedia or caoutchouc-tree, 
busily employed in making wicker-work. However, they 
proved too clearly that we had entered the inhospitable zone 
in the neighborhood of the capital ; observing, with great cool- 
ness, that the sun was as yet high, and would enable us still to 
make a good march to some other place, they would hear 
nothing of our quartering in their village. But Billama was 
not the man to be laughed at ; and, riding through the midst 
of them, he took possession for me of one of the best huts. I 
could not, in truth, approve of this despotical mode of deal- 
ing ; but I was too weak to run the risk of spending a night 
in my tent on the damp ground. The villagers seemed to be 
drained to the utmost by their gracious lord, and did not pos- 
sess a single cow ; even fowls were scarcely to be seen. 

In the evening I was greatly amused at first by. the noisy 
hum of "makaranchi, " or school, close to my hut, where, 
round a large fire, some six or seven boys were repeating, at 
the highest pitch of their voices, and with utter disregard of 
the sense, a few verses of the Kuran, which in the daytime they 
had been taught to read by their master, who doubtless un- 
derstood them as little as the boys themselves ; but by degrees 
the noise became almost insupportable. It is generally thought 
in Europe that a school-boy is too much tormented ; but these 
poor African boys, for the little they learn, are worried still 
more-: — at least, I have often found them in the cold season, 
and with scarcely a rag of a shirt on, sitting round a miserable 
fire as early as four o'clock in the morning, learning their les- 
sons. Besides, they have to perform all sorts of menial ser- 
vice for the master, and are often treated no better than slaves. 

Monday, July 21st. The country which we passed in the 
morning presented more pasture-grounds than cultivated lands, 
and after a little while I turned, with my companion, out of 
our path, to the left, toward a small encampment or " beri 
Shuwabe" of the Kohalemi, a Shuwa or Arab tribe, where, 



A WANDERING TRIBE. 225 

for three large beads, called " nejiim,'" we bought a little fresh 
milk. On this occasion I learned from Billama that the Shiiwa 
or native Arabs settled in the district of Uje belong to the 
tribe of the Saraji, while the Sugiila and the Salamat have 
their camping-grounds farther east. 

The country became rather dreary, black "firki "-ground 
and sandy soil alternately succeeding each other ; and traffic 
there was none. But when we reached the well of Maira, a 
considerable place which we passed on our left hand, the path 
became animated from an interesting cause, a whole village or 
"beri" of wandering Arabs passing through in search of fresh 
pasture-grounds to the west. Each mistress of a family was 
sitting on the top of her best household furniture, which was 
carefully packed on the backs of the cattle and covered with 
hides, while a female slave followed her, sitting astride on the 
less valuable gear and the poles, with pots and other such uten- 
sils ; but distinguished above all by the harness of her bullock, 
the neat arrangement of her seat, a leather tent-like covering over 
her head, and the stoutness of her own person, sat the wife of 
the chief. Most of these women, however, were rather slender 
than otherwise, testifying to the sound and well-preserved na- 
tional taste of these Arabs. They never veil the face, and 
their dress is simple and decent ; but they are not nearly so 
tidy as the Fulfiilde ladies. Most of the men followed at a 
great distance with the flocks of goats and sheep. When this 
interesting procession had passed by, the monotony of the 
country was more intensely felt. 

We then entered a well cultivated and thickly inhabited dis- 
trict called Yele, where it was a novelty to be obliged to draw 
water from the well or barrem Yele ; for, since reaching Uje' on 
our journey out, we had constantly met water-pools or small 
rivulets, from which we took our supply, and even the well at 
Maira was rendered quite superfluous by a large tank close by. 
However, I have already had occasion to observe that the 
water from these stagnant pools is anything but wholesome, 
particularly after the rainy season, when they receive no fur- 
ther supply ; and I have no doubt that the drinking of such 



226 mu'nghono. 

water is the principal, if not the only cause of that dreadful and 
wide-spread disease (the " farantit " or " 'ariig " — " ngiduwi ' ; 
in Kaniiri — "the misery ") which disables the working-man, 
and makes him a poor wretched being — the Guinea-worm, 
which is sure to be met with in at least one out of three per- 
sons who travel a great deal, through the whole of Central 
Africa. I never met with an instance of this disease in a 
woman. It seemed to me, too, as if the pagans, whose naked- 
ness exposed all their limbs to view, suffered less from it. 

We were now only one day's march from Kiikawa, and we 
started early the next morning, in order to reach home before 
night. The neighborhood of the capital had been sufficiently 
indicated already during the last day's march by the dum-bushes, 
which, with the melancholy Asclepias gigantea, might well 
decorate the scutcheon of Kiikawa — with more justice, indeed, 
than the kiika, or monkey-bread-tree, from which the name 
was taken, but of which but a few poor stunted specimens are 
to be seen in the court-yard of the palace in the eastern town. 

We had scarcely gone a mile when we met the first body of 
Shiiwa, men and women, who were returning with their un- 
loaded pack-oxen from the great Monday market of the capi- 
tal, and then the string of market-people on their way to their 
respective homes was almost uninterrupted. While our people 
followed the road, Billama and I turned off a little to the left, 
in order to pay a visit to the mayor of Miinghono, and obtain 
a cool drink ; for, since I had had the fever, I suffered greatly 
from thirst, and the water from the wells in general, as pre- 
serving a mean temperature of about 80 degrees, was quite tepid. 

Miinghono, which is likewise the name of the whole district, 
has been a place of importance from early times, and is often 
mentioned in the history of the Bornu kings. After the rich- 
ness of natural forms which I had beheld in A'damawa, the 
country seemed extremely monotonous, there being nothing 
whatever to cheer the eye except the blossoms of the mimosa, 
which spread a sweet scent all around. We encamped during 
the hot hours of the day near the well of Kiiine, where we had 
great difficulty in supplying ourselves with water from the 



RETURN TO KU'KAWA. 227 

well, while a little later in the season a large lake is formed 
here ; for Africa is the region of contrasts as well in nature as 
in human life. 

When we set out again from this place, people from the 
town, who had been informed of our approach, came to meet 
us ; and I heard, to my great satisfaction, that the crafty Arab 
Mohammed el Mugharbi, whom I had already met in Giim- 
mel, had at length arrived with the merchandise confided to 
his care, the nominal value of which was £100 sterling, so that 
there was at least some hope of being able to carry on the 
mission on a small scale. 

But I could not but feel pleased with my reception on re- 
turning to head-quarters in this part of the world ; for when 
we approached the southern gate of the town, three horsemen, 
who were stationed there, came galloping up to me, and hav- 
ing saluted me with their spears raised, placed themselves in 
front, and in stately procession led me through the town to my 
house, where I was soon regaled with a plentiful supper sent 
by the vizier. I afterwards perceived that he had expected 
me to pay him my respects the same evening ; but, as I felt 
very weak, I deferred the visit till the next morning, when, on 
his return from an early visit to the sheikh, he gave me an 
audience in the presence of all the people. Having expressed 
his sorrow at my reduced state, and having inquired how I had 
been received in A'damawa, he entered, with apparent delight, 
into a long conversation* with me respecting the form of the 
earth and the whole system of the world. On being asked 
what I now intended to do, I replied that it was my design, 
after having made the tour of the lake, to try to penetrate into 
the regions south of Bagirmi. He immediately expressed his 
doubts as to the possibility of going round the lake as far as 
the Bahar el Ghazal, but promised to further my plans as far 
as possible, although he thought that I had done enough al- 
ready, and should rather think of returning home safely with 
the results of my labors ; for, seeing me so weak during the 
first rainy season which I was spending in these regions, he 
was afraid that something might happen to me. 



228 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 

i 

Well satisfied with this audience, I returned to my quarters 
and wrote a short report to H. M,'s government of the results 
of my journey, informing them that my most deeply-cherished 
hopes with regard to that river in the south had been surpassed, 
and requesting them to send an expedition in order to verify 
its identity with the so-called Chadda. This report, which 
was sent off by a courier a day or two before Mr. Overweg's 
return from his navigation of the lake, and which was over- 
taken by a messenger with a short account of his survey, 
created general satisfaction in Europe, and procured for me 
the confidence of H. M.'s government. Meanwhile I endea- 
vored to arrange the pecuniary affairs of the mission as well 
as I could. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



Dr. Barth agrees to accompany a band of Arab freebooters on a plunder- 
ing expedition. — He is presented with a fine horse by the Vizier of 
Bornu. — He starts on the expedition. — Is joined by Dr. Overweg. — 
Robberies of the Arabs. — Great herd of Elephants. — Large snake 
killed. ■ — Outrages of the Arabs. — Their camp taken by the enemy. — 
Baggage of the travellers plundered. — Pteturn of the expedition to 
Kukawa. 

I had left Kukawa on my journey to A'damawa in the best 
state of health, but had brought back from that excursion the 
germs of disease ; and residence in the town, at least at this 
period of the year, was not likely to improve my condition. 
It would certainly have been better for me had I been able to 
retire to some more healthy spot ; but trivial, though urgent 
business, obliged me to remain in Kukawa. 

It was necessary to sell the merchandise which had at length 
arrived, in order to keep the mission in some way or other 
afloat, by paying the most urgent debts and providing the 
necessary means for further explorations. There was merchan- 
dise to the value of one hundred pounds sterling ; but, as I 
was obliged to sell the things at a reduced rate for ready 



wela'd slima'n. 229 

money, the loss was considerable ; for all business in these 
countries is transacted on two or three months' credit, and, 
after all, payment is made, not in ready money, but chiefly in 
slaves. It is, no doubt, very necessary for a traveller to be 
provided with those various articles which form the presents 
to be made to the chiefs, and which are in many districts re- 
quired for bartering ; but he ought not to depend upon their 
sale for the supply of his wants. Altogether it is difficult to 
carry on trade in conjunction with extensive geographical re- 
search, although a person sitting quietly down in a place, and 
entering into close relations with the natives, might collect a 
great deal of interesting information, which would probably 
escape the notice of the roving traveller, whose purpose is 
rather to explore distant regions. Besides, I was obliged to 
make numerous presents to my friends, in order to keep them 
in good humor, and had very often not only to provide dresses 
for themselves and their wives, but even for their domestic re- 
tainers ; so, that, all things considered, the supply of one hun- 
dred pounds' worth of merchandise could not last very long. 

My friend the vizier, whose solicitude for my health I can- 
not acknowledge too warmly, was very anxious that I should 
not stay in the town during the rainy season ; and knowing 
that on^ of our principal objects was to investigate the eastern 
shore of Lake Tsad, sent me word, on the 11th of August, 
that I might now view the bahar el ghazal, an undertaking 
which, as I have already mentioned, he had at first represented 
as impossible. The news from Kanem, however, was now 
favorable ; but, as I shall speak in another place of the politi- 
cal state of this distracted country, and of the continual strug- 
gle between Bdrnu and Waday, I need only mention here that 
the Welad Sliman, who had become a mercenary band attached 
to the vizier, had been successful during their last expedition, 
and were reported on the very day of my return from A'dama- 
wa to have made a prize of 150 horses and a great many 
camels, which, however, was a great exaggeration. 

We were well acquainted with the character of these people, 
who are certainly the most lawless robbers in the world ; but 
20 



230 MR. overweg's memoranda. 

as it was the express wish of the British government that we 
should endeavor to explore the regions bordering on the lake, 
there was no course open to us but to unite our pursuits with 
theirs ; besides, they were prepared in some measure for such 
a union ; for, while they inhabited the grassy lands round the 
great Syrtis, they had come into frequent contact with the 
English. We had no choice, for all the districts to the north- 
east and east of the Tsad were at present in a certain degree 
dependent on Waday, then at war with Bdrnu, and we were 
told at the commencement that we might go anywhere except 
to Waday. Instead of fighting it out with his own people, 
which certainly would have been the most honorable course, 
the vizier had ventured to make use of the remnant of the war- 
like, and at present homeless tribe of the Welad Sliman, in the 
attempt to recover the eastern districts of Kanem from his 
eastern rival, or at least to prevent the latter from obtaining a 
sure footing in them ; for this object he had made a sort of 
treaty with these Arabs, undertaking to supply them with 
horses, muskets, powder, and shot. Thus, in order to visit 
those inhospitable regions, which had attracted a great deal 
of attention in Europe, we were obliged to embrace this op- 
portunity. Under these circumstances, on the 16th of August, 
I sent the vizier word that I was ready to join the Welad Sli- 
man in Burgu ; whereupon he expressed a wish that Mr. Over- 
weg might likewise accompany us, the stay in Kiikawa during 
the rainy season being very unhealthy. 

Mr. Overweg had returned on the 9th to Maduwari from his 
interesting voyage on the Tsad, of which every one will deeply 
regret that he himself was not able to give a full account. 
Traversing that shallow basin in the English boat which we had 
carried all the way through the unbounded sandy wastes and 
the rocky wildernesses of the desert, he had visited a great part 
of the islands which are dispersed over its surface, and which, 
sometimes reduced to narrow sandy downs, at others expanding 
to wide grassy lowlands, sustain a population in their peculiar 
national independence, the remnant of a great nation which was 
exterminated by the Kaniiri. It was a little world of its own 



DEPENDENT SITUATION. 231 

with which he had thus come into contact, and into which we 
might hope to obtain by degrees a better iosight. He enjoyed 
excellent health, far better than when I saw him before, on his 
first rejoining me in Kiikawa ; and as he was well aware of the 
strong reasons which our friend the vizier had for wishing us 
not to stay in the swampy lowlands round the capital during 
the latter part of the rainy season, he agreed to join me on this 
adventurous expedition to the northeast. 

Altogether, our situation in the country was not so bad. We 
were on the best and most friendly terms with the rulers ; we 
were not only tolerated, but even respected by the natives, and 
we saw an immense field of interesting and useful labor open 
to us. There was only one disagreeable circumstance besides 
the peculiar nature of the climate ; this was the fact that our 
means were too small to render us quite independent of the 
sheikh and his vizier ; for the scanty supplies which had reached 
us were not sufficient to provide for our wants, and were soon 
gone. We were scarcely able to keep ourselves afloat on our 
credit, and to supply our most necessary wants. Mr. Over- 
weg, besides receiving a very handsome horse from them, had 
also been obliged to accept at their hands a number of tobes, 
which he had made presents of to the chiefs of the Budduma, 
and they looked upon him as almost in their employment. 

The horse which they had first given me had proved incapa- 
ble of such fatigue as it had to undergo, and the animal which 
I had bought before going to A'damawa had been too much 
knocked up to stand another journey so soon ; and, after hav- 
ing bought two other camels and prepared myself for another 
expedition, I was unable, with my present means, to buy a 
good horse. Remembering, therefore, what the vizier had 
told me with regard to my first horse, I sent him word that he 
would greatly oblige me by making me a present of one, and 
he was kind enough to send me four animals from which to 
choose ; but as none of these satisfied me, I rejected them all, 
intimating very simply that it was impossible, among four 
nags, "kadara," to choose one horse, "fir." This hint, after 
a little further explanation, my friend did not fail to under- 



232 PRESENTED WITH A HORSE BY THE VIZIER. 

stand, and in the evening of the *7th of September he sent me a 
horse from his own stable, which became my faithful and noble 
companion for the next four campaigns, and from which I did 
not part till, after my return from Timbuktu in December, 
1854, he succumbed to sickness in Kand. 

He was the envy of all the great men, from the Sultan of 
Bagirmi to the chiefs of the Tademekket and Awelimmiden 
near Timbuktu. His color was a shade of gray, with beautiful 
light leopard-like spots ; and the Kaniiri were not unanimous 
with regard to the name which they gave it, some calling it 
"sheggara," while others thought the name "keri sassarandi" 
more suitable to it. In the company of mares he was incapa- 
ble of walking quietly, but kept playing in order to show him- 
self off to advantage. The Bdrnu horses in general are very 
spirited and fond of prancing. He was an excellent "kerisa," 
or marcher, and "doy," or swift in the extreme, but very 
often lost his start by his playfulness. Of his strength, the 
extent of the journeys which he made with me bears ample tes- 
timony, particularly if the warlike, scientific, and victualling 
stores which I used to carry with me are taken into account, 
He was a " ngirma, " but not of the largest size. Mr. Over- 
weg's horse was almost half a hand higher ; but while mine 
was a lion in agility, my companion's horse was not unlike a 
hippopotamus in plumpness. 

With such a horse I prepared cheerfully for my next expe- 
dition, which I regarded in the light both of an undertaking in 
the interests of science and as a medicinal course for restoring 
my health, which threatened to succumb in the unhealthy re- 
gion of Kukawa. Besides two Fezzani lads, I had taken into 
my service two Arabs belonging to the tribe of the Welad Sli- 
man, and whose names were Bii-Zed and Hasen ben Har. 

September 11th, 1851. Having decided upon leaving the 
town in advance of the Arabs, in order to obtain leisure for 
travelling slowly the first few days, and to accustom my feeble 
frame once more to the fatigues of a continual march, after a 
rest of forty days in the town I ordered my people to get my 
luggage ready in the morning. 



ARRIVAL OF MR. OVERWEG. 



233 



I had plenty of provisions, such as zummita, dweda or ver- 
micelli, mohamsa, and nakia, a sort of sweetmeat made of rice 
with butter and honey — two skins of each quality. All was 
stowed away, with the little luggage I intended taking with me 
on this adventurous journey, in two pairs of large leathern bags 
or kewa, which my two camels were to carry. 

When all was ready I went to the vizier, in order to take 
leave of him and arrange with my former servant, Mohammed 
ben S'ad, to whom I owed thirty-five dollars. Haj Beshir, as 
usual, was very kind and amiable ; but as for my former ser- 
vant, having not a single dollar in cash, I was obliged to give 
him a bill upon Fezzan for seventy-five dollars. There was 
also a long talk on the subject of the enormous debt due to the 
Fezzani merchant Mohammed e' Sfaksi ; and as it was not 
possible to settle it at once, I was obliged to leave its definite 
arrangement to Mr. Over weg. 

All this disagreeable business, which is so killing to the best 
hours, and destroys half the energy of the traveller, had retarded 
my departure so long that the sun was just setting when I left 
the gate of the town. 

[No incident of importance took place till the 18th of Sep- 
tember, when Dr. Barth, after passing Y6 and some other un- 
important villages, was joined by Dr. Overweg.] 

Thursday, September ISth. About two hours after mid- 
night Mr. Overweg arrived, accompanied by one of the most 
conspicuous of the Welad Sliman, of the name of Khalef-Allah, 
announcing the approach of our little troop, which did not, 
however, make its appearance until ten o'clock in the morning, 
when the most courageous and best mounted of them galloped 
up to my tent in pairs, brandishing their guns. There were 
twenty-five horsemen, about a dozen men mounted upon camels, 
and seven or eight on foot, besides children. They dismounted 
a little to the east of our tents, and formed quite an animated 
encampment, though, of course, quarrels were sure to break 
out soon. 

Friday, September 19th. Overweg and I, accompanied by 
Khalef-Allah and a guide, made an excursion down the river, 
20* 



234 DESOLATE COUNTRY. 

in order, if possible, to reach its mouth; but the experiment 
proved that there is no path on the southern shore, the track 
following the northern bank ; for on that side, not far from 
the mouth, lies a considerable Kanembii place called Bdso, 
though, in the present weak state of the Bornu kingdom, much 
exposed to the incursions of the Tawarek. Having penetrated 
as far as a village, or rather a walled town, named Fatse, the 
walls of which are in a decayed state, and the population re- 
duced to a dozen families, we were obliged to give up our in- 
tended survey of the river. As for myself, I was scarcely able 
to make any long excursion, for, on attempting to mount my 
horse again, I fainted, and fell senseless to the ground, to the 
great consternation of my companions, who felt convinced my 
end was approaching. We therefore returned to our encamp- 
ment. In the evening I had a severe attack of fever. 

[Dr. Barth recovering speedily from this attack, the party 
proceeded, and on the 24th of September arrived at Ngegimi, 
where they were disappointed in endeavoring to obtain some 
fowls for a dinner, and speedily left the place. The following 
passages of his journal afford us a specimen of the character 
of the Welad Sliman, the Arab freebooters, whom the travel- 
lers were accompanying in their expedition to Kanem.] 

Plunged into sad reflections on the fate of this once splendid 
empire of Kanem, and the continued progress of the Berber 
race into the heart of Sudan, I hung listlessly upon my horse, 
when, on leaving this uncomfortable dwelling-place, we took 
our course over the unbroken plain, once no doubt the bottom 
of the lake,* and soon to become once more a part of it. 
Sometimes it was dry and barren, at others clothed with rich 
verdure, while on our left it was bordered by a range of sand- 
hills, the natural limit of the lagoon. At a little before noon 
we came to a deep inlet of the lake, spreading the freshest ver- 
dure all around in this now desolate country. Having watered 
our horses, and taken in a sufficient supply of this element for 
the night, we crossed the plain, here not more than a thousand 

* The Tsad. 



DESOLATE COUNTRY. 237 

yards wide, and ascended a broad promontory of the range of 
sand-hills, where we encamped. 

It was a delightful spot, where the heart might have ex- 
panded in the enjoyment of freedom. In front of us to the 
southeast, the swampy lands of the lagoon, one immense rice- 
field (as it ought to be at least), spread out to the borders of 
the horizon; but no "white water," or open sea, was to be 
seen — not even as much as connected channels — nothing but 
one immense swampy flat, stretching out as far as the eye could 
reach. To the south the green pasturages, along which we had 
come, extended far beyond Ngegimi. It was a picture of one 
of the most fertile spots of the earth doomed to desolation. 
But there was a feeble spark of hope in me that it would not 
always be so, and I flattered myself that my labors in these 
new regions might contribute to sow here the first germs of a 
new life, a new activity. 

My companions and friends did not seem to share in my feel- 
ings ; for, wholly intent upon mischief, they had been roving 
about, and having fallen in with some Kanembu cattle-breeders, 
they had plundered them not only of their milk, but also of the 
vessels which contained it ; and in the afternoon some respect- 
able old men applied to Mr. Overweg and myself, the only just 
people they were sure to find among this wild band of lawless 
robbers, for redress, and we were happy not only to restore to 
them their vessels, but also to make them a few small presents. 

Thursday, September 2bth. Descending from our lofty en- 
campment, we continued our march in the narrow grassy plain, 
between the sand-hills to the north, and another blue inlet of 
the lake to the south, where the rich pasture-grounds extended 
further into the lake. 

It was about seven o'clock in the morning when we had the 
good fortune to enjoy one of the most interesting scenes which 
these regions can possibly afford. Far to our right was a 
whole herd of elephants, arranged in regular array like an 
army of rational beings, slowly proceeding to the water. In 
front appeared the males, as was evident from their size, in 
regular order ; at a little distance followed the young ones ; in 



238 OUTRAGES BY THE WELA'D SLIMA'N. 

a third line were the females ; and the whole were brought up 
by five males of immense size. The latter (though we were at 
some distance, and proceeding quietly along) took notice of 
us, and some were seen throwing dust in the air ; but we did 
not disturb them. There were altogether ninety-six. 

The fine fresh pasture-grounds some time afterward gave 
way to a drier plain, covered with a species of heath, and the 
country presented rather a melancholy appearance. A little 
before ten o'clock we came to a large herd of cattle or " beri," 
collected round a small hamlet or dawar, consisting of light, 
high-topped corn-stalks, fastened together by three rings of 
straw, and lightly plastered with a little cow-dung. But, al- 
though we obtained some milk, some of our friends, not con- 
tent with filling their stomachs, laid hold of a fine pony and 
carried it off, under the pretext that it belonged to the Biid- 
duma, who, as they asserted, were enemies of the sheikh ; and 
when we had started again, and encountered a small caravan 
of oxen laden with dates, not only were all the skins contain- 
ing the dates taken, but another ruffian laid hold of one of the 
beasts of burden and dragged it away with him, notwithstand- 
standing the lamentations of its owner. And yet the people 
who were thus treated were subjects of the King of Bornu, 
and the Welad Sliinan were his professed friends and hirelings. 
Fine fresh pasture-grounds, and melancholy tracts clothed 
with nothing but heath, succeeded each other, while not a 
single tree broke the monotony of the level country. At length 
we encamped near a deserted village of cattle-breeders, con- 
sisting of about twenty small, conical huts, built in the form 
of a large circle. We had scarcely begun to make ourselves 
comfortable, when a noisy quarrel arose about the dates so un- 
justly taken from their owners, and some of the Arabs con- 
cerned in the dispute came to my tent in order to have their 
claims settled, when the whole particulars of the shameless 
robberies committed in the course of the day came under my 
notice, especially that of the horse. But this was a delicate 
subject, and one that excited the angry passions of those con- 
cerned — so much so that one of them, named Ibrahim, came 



LARGE SNAKE. 239 

running with his loaded gun straight into my tent, threatening 
to blow out the brains of anybody who spoke of injustice or 
robbery. As for Bakher and 'Abd e' Rahman, who were the 
actual possessors of the horse, they were about to leave by 
themselves. 

The violent proceedings of our protectors had spread such 
terror throughout these almost desolate regions, that in the 
evening, solely from fear, two oxen and a quantity of milk 
were sent from a neighboring beri as presents. The night was 
fresh, but not cold, and a very heavy dew fell. 

Monday, September 2$th. Started early : the character of 
the country continued the same as yesterday, and presented 
beautiful specimens of the mimosa, here breaking down from 
age, at another place interwoven with creepers, one species of 
which produces the red, juicy fruit called " fito" by the Kaniiri, 
and has been mentioned by me before. It was nearly eight 
o'clock when, proceeding in groups, two of our horsemen, on 
passing near a very large and thick gherret, suddenly halted, 
and with loud cries hastened back to us. We approached the 
spot, and saw a very large snake hanging in a threatening at- 
titude from the branches of the tree : on seeing us it tried to 
hide itself; but after firing several balls, it fell down, and we 
cut off its head. It measured 18 feet 7 inches in length, and 
at the thickest part 5 inches in diameter, and was of a beau- 
tifully variegated color. Two natives, who had attached them- 
selves to our troop the day before, cut it open and took out 
the fat, which they said was excellent. 

Wednesday, October 1st. Having set out early, after nearly 
two hours' ride we were met by a single horseman coming 
toward us from the encampment of the Welad Sliman, and 
bidding us welcome to their wild country. They kept starting 
up from the thicket on our right and left, firing their muskets 
and saluting us with their usual war-cry, "ya riyab, ya riyab." 
Having thus advanced about half an hour, we came to a halt 
in order to receive in a more solemn form the warlike compli- 
ments of a larger troop of horsemen, led on by a person of 
some importance. 



240 

The dust raised by the horsemen having subsided a little, 
and the eountry being clearer of wood, we now saw before us 
the whole cavalry of the Welad Sliman drawn up in a line in 
their best attire, their chief Ghet, the son of Sef el Nasr ben 
Ghet, and his uncle 'Omar, the son of Ghet, and brother of 
•Abd el Jelil, in the midst of them. This stately reception, 
not having been anticipated by Overweg and myself, made a 
great impression upon us ; but we were not left to gaze long, 
but were desired by our Arab companions to ride in advance 
of the line in compliment to the chiefs. We accordingly put 
our steeds into a gallop, and, riding straight up to our new 
friends, saluted them with our pistols. Having, answered our 
compliments, and bidding us welcome to their wild abode, the 
young Ghet galloping along at the head of his squadrons, his 
sword drawn, and with the continuous cry "yariyab, yariyab," 
they led us to the encampment, and we had a place shown to 
us where we might pitch our tents. 

We had now joined our fate with that of this band of rob- 
bers, who, in consequence of their reckless habits, having been 
driven from their original dwelling-places in the Syrtis, after a 
great variety of events, have at length established themselves 
in this border region between the desert and the fertile regions 
of Negroland, under the guidance of Mohammed, the son of 
'Abd el Jelil, on the ruins of the old kingdom of Kanem. 

The Vizier of Bornu had taken this young man, to whom 
very little power and property were left, under his special pro- 
tection, entering with him and the remaining part of the tribe 
into a contract to the effect that he would furnish them with 
horses and muskets, as far as they should stand in need of 
them, on condition of their delivering to him a certain share 
of their booty in every expedition. Of course, such a troop of 
swift horsemen, armed with muskets, if kept in strict subjec- 
tion and subordination, might have proved exceedingly useful 
on the northern borders of Bornu, on the one side as a check 
upon the Tawarek, on the other upon Waday. But the great 
difficulty, which the vizier appears not to have overcome, was 



INTERVIEW WITH THE SHEIKH. 241 

to subject the predatory excursions of such a set of people to 
some sort of political rule. 

With this view, he sent the young chief, who was scarcely 
more than twenty years of age, to Kanem, with all that were 
left of the Welad Sliman, keeping back in Kukawa, as hos- 
tages for his proceedings, his mother, and the wives and little 
children of some of the principal men. But from the begin- 
ning there was a strong party against the young chief, who had 
not yet achieved any exploit, and whose sole merit consisted in 
his being the nearest relation of 'Abd el Jelil. 'Omar, his 
uncle, who from his youth had given himself up to a life of 
devotion, and was called a Merabet, had a considerable party ; 
and there were, besides, several men who thought themselves 
of as much importance as their chief. 

This was the horde with which, in order to carry out the 
objects of our mission to the utmost of our power, Mr. Over- 
weg and I were obliged to associate our fate ; but, unfortu- 
nately, we were unprovided with that most essential article for 
exciting a more than common interest in ourselves personally, 
or the objects of our mission, namely, valuable presents. 

While our people pitched our tents, Mr. Overweg and I 
went to pay our compliments to Sheikh Ghet and 'Omar, and 
to have a friendly talk with them before we proceeded to more 
serious business. They seemed to expect this compliment, 
having lain down in the shade of a tree at a short distance from 
our place of encampment. Ghet, who was smoking a long 
pipe, was a tolerably handsome young man ; but his pronun- 
ciation was very defective, and he^had nothing very command- 
ing in his manner. Having exchanged a few compliments and 
asked some general questions, we withdrew, and soon after re- 
ceived a present of dates and milk. 

When the heat of the day had a little abated, we prepared 
the small present we had to give to Sheikh Ghet, and which 
consisted of a red cloth berniis of good workmanship, a pound 
of cloves, a pound of jawi or benzoin, and a razor. We were 
well aware that it was rather a trifling gift, considering the as- 
sistance we required from these people to carry out our object ; 
21 



242 'oma'r ben ghe't. 

but we knew also that it was rather a favor bestowed upon us 
by the Yizier of Bdrnu, who regarded these people as in his 
service. Referring, therefore, to the friendship which existed 
of old between their tribe, when still in their old settlements in 
the Syrtis, and the English consul in Tripoli, and delivering a 
letter from Mr. Frederick Warrington, who was personally 
well known to the chief men, we openly professed that the ob- 
ject of our coming was to try, with their assistance, to visit 
the eastern shore of the lake, and especially the Bahar el 
Ghazal, which had formed a remarkable object of curiosity in 
our country for some time. But Sheikh Ghet, without hesita- 
tion, declared it was impossible for them to take us to that 
place, the most dangerous locality in all these quarters, on ac- 
count of the many predatory expeditions which were made to 
that spot from different quarters, and by tribes hostile to them. 
After some commonplace talk about the English, we left him, 
and went to his uncle with a present of precisely the same kind, 
and began here to urge the distinct object of our coming in a 
more positive way. I expressed the opinion that, as they 
would render acceptable service to the British government if 
they were to enable us to investigate the connection between 
the Bahar el Ghazal and the lake, so, on the other hand, a great 
portion of the blame, if we should not be able to carry out our 
design, would certainly fall upon them, inasmuch as they had 
always professed to be under great obligations toward the 
English. 'Omar ben Ghet ben Sef e' Nasr acknowledged all 
this ; but he doubted very much if the band, in its present re- 
duced state, would be able to carry us to those quarters, which 
were entirely under the sway of Waday. 

We then took our leave of 'Omar and returned to our tents. 
The place of the encampment was a fine, open, sandy, undu- 
lating level, commanding the vale, where are the wells Yongo 
or Bu-Halima, covered with verdure, and richly adorned with 
scattered mimosas. The tents and sheds of the Arabs were 
spread over a great space, and no precaution was taken to 
obtain some degree of security by means of fences and 
stockades. The sun having set, I lay down outside my tent to 



SPECIMEN OF PREDATORY LIFE. 243 

enjoy the coolness and tranquillity of the evening after a hot 
and troublesome day. 

All seemed calm and tranquil, when suddenly a terrible 
screaming and crying arose from the women in the west part 
of the encampment. We hurried to our arms, thinking that 
an enemy had entered the place. The cry, ** 'Ala e' dhahar Y ' 
'ala e' dhahar!" (mount! mount!) — properly speaking, "in 
the saddle !" "in the saddle !" — sounded from all sides, and 
the horsemen hurried past us ; but it was only a small party 
of freebooters, who, in the twilight of the evening, had made 
an attack upon the camels, and, after having put to flight two 
or three men and killed a horseman, had driven off a part of 
the herd. Our friends pursued the robbers at full speed and 
soon overtook them, when they retreated into the thicket and 
gave up their booty. 

In this way we had a specimen of the character of our pre- 
sent expedition the very first day we had joined this little 
horde; and the lamentations of the females on account of the 
man who had been slain sounded woefully through the night, 
and brought before our minds the fate which, in a very short 
time, might befall ourselves. Late in the night, when the 
alarm had subsided, Sheikh Ghet sent us a heifer as a present. 

[Dr. Barth and Dr. Overvveg continued to accompany the 
Arab freebooters, and witness their plundering skirmishes. 
Their rapid marches occasioned much inconvenience to the 
travellers. The following record in Dr. Barth 's journal of 
October 19th, affords a fair specimen of the kind of life he led 
among the Arabs.] 

The Arabs had not made a very considerable booty, the 
Woghda having received intelligence of their approach and 
saved what they could. The whole result of the expedition 
was fifteen camels, a little more than three hundred head of 
cattle, and about fifteen hundred sheep and goats. The Arabs 
were for some time in great anxiety about Ghet, and a party 
of horsemen who had gone with him to a greater distance ; but 
he joined us here, driving before him a large flock of sheep. 
We were busy watering our horses, and providing ourselves 



244 ENCOUNTER WITH THE WOGHDA. 

with this necessary element. But there was not much leisure ; 
for scarcely had we begun to draw water, when the alarm was 
given that the Woghda were attacking us, and three bodies of 
horsemen were formed in order to protect the train and the 
booty. The main body rushed out of the valley on the south- 
east side, and drove the enemy back to a considerable distance ; 
but the intention of encamping on the slope near this well was 
given up as too dangerous, and it was decided to go to a 
greater distance, though the intention of penetrating to M'awo* 
seemed not as yet entirely to be abandoned. It took us a con- 
siderable time to get out of this wooded valley, the Arabs 
being afraid of being attacked and losing their booty. 

At length, the cattle and flocks having been driven in ad- 
vance, we started, and, leaving the vale, ascended elevated 
rocky ground, from which, following a southwesterly direction, 
we descended, a little before two o'clock in the afternoon, into 
the narrower eastern part of a deep and beautiful valley, which 
here is adorned by a pretty grove of date-trees, while its 
western part expands into fine cultivated ground. Here we 
made a halt of about half an hour, in order to water the animals 
and replenish our skins ; for not even here was it thought ad- 
visable to encamp, as it is regarded as a very inauspicious 
place, this being the spot where, in 1850, the Kel-owi fell upon 
the Welad Sliman and almost exterminated them. After so 
short a halt we again pursued our march. I was now so 
totally exhausted that I was obliged to dismount at short inter- 
vals and lie down for a moment ; and once, when left alone, it 
was only with the utmost exertion that I was able to mount 
my horse again ; but nevertheless I managed to drag myself 
along. At length, about sunset, we chose a place for our en- 
campment on the brow of the slope descending into a deep 
valley. Having now been thirty-four hours on horseback with 
only short and insufficient intervals, I fell senseless to the 
ground, and was considered by Mr. Overweg and our people 
as about to breathe my last. But after an hour's repose I re- 
covered a little, and, having had a good night's rest, felt my- 



VISITED BY THE KEGHA'mMA. 245 

self much stronger on the following morning, so that I could 
even undergo some exertion which was not exactly necessary. 

Monday, October 20th. Descended with our people into the 
valley when they went to fetch water. It is called A'lali A'dia, 
or Jerad, from a small hamlet lying on the highest ground, and 
called A'lali. The well was very rich and plentiful ; but no 
traces of cultivation appeared at the foot of the date-trees. The 
slope was rather steep, and about 130 feet high. The Arabs, 
who had contracted their encampment or " dowar" within the 
smallest possible compass, barricading it with their baggage, 
as all the empty bags which they had taken with them on the 
expedition were now full of corn from the magazines of the 
enemy, were not at all at their ease, and seemed not to know 
exactly what course to take, whether to penetrate further in 
advance or to return. Several Fugabu. and people belonging 
to Halluf came to pay their respects to Sheikh Grhet ; and a 
person of considerable authority, called Keghamma, or rather 
Keghamma-futebe (Seraskier of the West), the very man of 
whom we before had heard so much talk, came also and paid me 
a visit in my tent ; for, being in a weak state, I had been obliged, 
when the sun became oppressive, to pitch my tent, as there was 
no shade. There being no other tent in the encampment, I 
received visits from several parties who wished to breakfast a 
little at their ease, and among others from a man called Kedel 
Batram, Halluf's brother. Keghamma stated that he was cer- 
tainly able to bring us to Karka ; but this was a mere pretence, 
and he himself retracted his promise shortly afterward before 
the sheikh. Our cherished object lay still before us, at a con- 
siderable distance ; but our friend Ghet thought that he had 
brought us already far enough to deserve some more presents, and 
plainly intimated as much to us through 'Abd-Allah. Fortu- 
nately, I had a handsome yellow cloth caftan with me, em- 
broidered with gold, and toward evening, when I had recovered 
from a severe fit of fever, which had suddenly attacked me in 
the afternoon, we went to pay our compliments to the chief, 
and begged him to accept of it ; at the same time we told him 
we should be satisfied if we were enabled to visit the district 
21* 



246 THE ARABS DEFEATED. 

belonging to the kegharama. But the situation of the Arabs 
soon became more dangerous, and nothing was thought of but 
to retrace our steps westward with the greatest possible expe- 
dition. 

I was lying sleepless in my tent, in a rather weak state, 
having scarcely tasted any kind of food for the last few days 
on account of my feverish state, when, in the latter part of the 
night, a great alarm was raised in the camp, and I heard the 
Arabs mount their horses and ride about in several detach- 
ments, raising their usual war-cry, "ya riyab, ya riyab ;" but 
I remained quietly on my mat, and was not even roused from 
my lethargical state when I received the intelligence that a 
numerous hostile army, consisting of the Woghda, the Medele, 
the Shiri, and the people of the Eastern Keghamma, was ad- 
vancing against the camp. I received this news with that in- 
difference with which a sick and exhausted man regards even 
the most important events. Neither did I stir when, with 
the first dawn of day on the 21st, the enemy having actually 
arrived within a short distance, our friends left the camp in 
order to offer battle. I heard about ten shots fired, but did 
not think that the Arabs would be beaten. Suddenly Over- 
weg, who had saddled his horse at the very beginning of the 
alarm, called out anxiously to me that our friends were de- 
feated, and, mounting his horse, started off at a gallop. My 
mounted servant, Bu-Zed, had long taken to his heels; and 
thus, while Mohammed was hastily saddling my horse, I flung 
my berniis over me, and grasping my pistols and gun, and 
throwing my double sack over the saddle, I mounted and 
started off toward the west, ordering Mohammed to cling fast to 
my horse's tail. It was the very last moment, for at the same 
time the enemy began to attack the east side of the camp. All 
the people had fled, and I saw only the chief slave of Ghet, 
who, with great anxiety, entreated me to take his master's 
state sword with me, that it might not fall into the hands of 
the enemy. 

But I had not gone a great distance when I heard firing 
close behind me, and, turning round, saw the Arab horsemen 



CAMP TAKEN. 247 

rallying, and with the cry "He keleb, keleb," turn round 
against the enemy, who had dispersed in order to collect the 
spoil. I went on in order to inform Mr. Overweg, who, toge- 
ther with the Arabs who were mounted on camels, and even 
several horsemen, had fled to some distance and posted them- 
selves on a hill. Assuring him that the danger was over, I re- 
turned with him to the camp, where we were rather surprised 
to find that not only all our luggage was gone, but that not 
even a vestige of my tent was left. 

The enemy, attracted only by the English tent and Sheikh 
Ghet's baggage, had scarcely touched the effects of the other 
people, but considered my tent as a fair prize and ran away 
with it. But the Arabs pursuing them, we got back most of 
our things. A leathern English bag of mine, which contained 
some articles of value, had been cut open, just, as it seemed, at 
the moment when our friends came up with the enemy. Our 
chief loss consisted in our cooking utensils and provisions ; I 
also much regretted the loss of an English prayer-book which 
had belonged to Mr. Richardson. Four of the Arabs had been 
killed, and thirty-four of the enemy. Mr. Overweg was busily 
employed in dressing some severe wounds inflicted on our 
friends. The Arabs were furious at the insolence, as they 
called it, of the enemy, who had dared to attack them in their 
own encampment, and they swore they would now go and burn 
down all their hamlets and their corn. The horsemen actually 
left, but returned in the course of the afternoon rather silently, 
with a sullen face and unfavorable tidings, and before sunset 
they were once more obliged to defend their own encampment 
against another attack of the energetic natives ; they, however, 
succeeded in beating them off. Halliif distinguished himself 
greatly by his valor, killing three or four of the enemy with his 
own hand. 

But, notwithstanding this little victory, the forebodings for 
the night were very unfavorable, and our friends would cer- 
tainly have decamped immediately if they had not been afraid 
that in the darkness of the night the greater part might take to 
their heels, and that a shameful flight would be followed by 



248 DEPARTURE OF A CARAVAN. 

great loss of life and property. Accordingly, they determined 
to remain till the next morning. But an anxious and restless 
night it was ; for they had received authentic news that a body 
of from thirty to forty Waday horsemen were to join their ene- 
mies that night, and to make a joint and last attack upon them, 
and they were well aware that the enemy had only been beaten 
from want of horses. All the horses remained saddled, and 
the whole night they sounded the watch-cry. 

October 22d. The night passed on without the enemy ap- 
pearing, and with the dawn of day the sign for decamping was 
given, when everybody endeavored to get in advance of his 
neighbor. The enemy, as was positively stated afterward, 
arrived there about an hour later, but, seeing that we were 
gone, did not choose to pursue us. 

Thus we left the most interesting part of Kanem behind us, 
the country once so thickly studded with large, populous, and 
celebrated towns. 

Tuesday, October 28th. Seeing that there was a caravan of 
people forming to go to Kukawa, while the Arabs intended 
once more to return to Burka-driisso, we at once went to the 
chief to inform him that we had made up our minds to go with 
the caravan. A chief of the Haddada, or rather Bungo, 
arrived with offerings of peace on the part of the Shiri, and 
came to see us, together with the chief, Kedl Batram, who was 
the father-in-law of the khalifa of M'awo ; Kobber, or rather 
the head man of the Kobber, and other great men of the Fu- 
gabii ; and I amused them with my musical box. Overweg 
and I, disappointed in our expectations of penetrating farther 
eastward, prepared for our return journey, and I bought a 
small skin of tolerable dates for half a turkedi, while to 'Abd- 
Allah, who had been our mediator with the chief, I made a 
present of a jerid, in order not to remain his debtor. 

All this time I felt very unwell, which I attribute principally 
to the great changes of atmosphere, the nights being cool and 
the days very warm. 

Sunday, November 2d. The day of our departure from 
Kanem at length arrived. Sorry as we were to leave the 



RETURN TO KU'KAWA. 249 

eastern shore of the lake unexplored, we convinced ourselves 
that the character of our mission did not allow us to risk our 
fate any longer by accompanying these freebooters. The 
camels we had taken with us on this expedition were so 
worn out that they were unable to carry even the little lug- 
gage we had left, and Sheikh Ghet made us a present of two 
camels, which, however, only proved sufficient for the short 
journey to Kiikawa, for the one fell a few paces from the 
northern gate on reaching the town, and the other a short dis- 
tance from the southern gate on leaving it again on our expe- 
dition to Miisgu. 

The caravan with which we were to proceed was numer- 
ous, but the whole of the people were Kanembu, who car- 
ried their little luggage on pack-oxen and a few camels, 
while besides ourselves there were only two horsemen. But 
there were some respectable people among them, and even 
some women richly adorned with beads, and with their fine, 
regular features and slender forms, forming a strong contrast 
to the ugly physiognomy and square forms of the Bdrnu 
females. The difference between the Bdrnu and Kanembu is 
remarkable, although it is difficult to account for it by histori- 
cal deduction. 

We were so fortunate as to perform our home-journey 
without any serious accident, although we had some slight 
alarms. 



250 ANOTHER EXPEDITION. 



CHAPTER XT. . 

Dr. Barth joins another warlike expedition — Lamino — March of the 
enemy — Conversation with the sheikh on slavery — Submission of a 
chief — The sheikh returns to Kukawa — Prince A'dish&i — Enter- 
ing the Musgu country — Encampment in the forest — Singular water 
combat — Plundering and outrages by the Bornu army — Spoil divided 
— The army returns to Ktikawa. 

We reached Kukawa on the 14th, having met on the road a 
party of about fifty Welad Sliman, who were proceeding to 
join their companions in Kanem. We were well received by 
our host, the Yizier of Bdrnu. 

We had already heard from the Governor of Y6 that the 
sheikh and his vizier were about to leave in a few days on an 
expedition ; and, being desirous of employing every means 
of becoming acquainted with new regions of this continent, 
we could not but avail ourselves of this opportunity, however 
difficult it was for us, owing to our entire want of means, to 
make the necessary preparations for another campaign, and 
although the destination of the expedition was not quite 
certain. 

November 25th, 1851. Ten days after having returned to 
our head-quarters from the wearisome journey to Kanem, I left 
Kukawa again in order to join a new warlike expedition. 

The sheikh and his vizier, with the chief part of the army, 
had set out already the previous Saturday. The route had 
not yet been determined upon — it was, at least, not generally 
known : but Wandala, or, as the Kanuri call it, Mandara., 
was mentioned as the direct object of the march, in order to 
enforce obedience from the prince of that small country, who, 
protected by its mountains, had behaved in a refractory man- 
ner. The chief motive of the enterprise, however, consisted in 




(251) 



THE CAMP. 253 

the circumstance of the coffers and slave-rooms of the great 
men being empty ; and, a new supply being wanted, from 
whence to obtain it was a question of minor importance. 
There was just then much talk about a final rupture between 
'Abd e' Rahman and the vizier, the former having intimate 
relations with the Prince of Mandara ; and it was for that rea- 
son that Mr. Overweg had at first thought it better to remain 
behind. 

My means were scanty in the extreme, and did not allow me 
to have a mounted servant, my camp-followers consisting merely 
of the same naga or "jige," as the Kaniiri call the female 
camel, which had proved of the highest value to me on the 
journey to Kanem, and of two very indifferent Fezzani lads, 
weak in mind and body — Mohammed ben Habib and Moham- 
med ben Ahmed. 

The weather being temperate, and my spirits excellent, I 
followed cheerfully the Ngornu road, with which I was well 
acquainted. I met with my friend Haj Edris and Shitima 
Makaremma, who were just returning from the camp. They 
told me that the sheikh had encamped that day at Kiikia, be- 
yond Ngornu. I therefore made a short halt at noon on this 
side of that town, in order to reach the camp during the even- 
ing without staying in the place ; for the city, on all sides, at 
about an hour's distance, is almost entirely surrounded by 
fields devoid of trees. After I had enjoyed about an hour's 
rest, Overweg arrived with the disagreeable tidings that his 
camel, soon after leaving the gate, had fallen, and was unable 
to get up again even after the luggage had been removed. He 
therefore sent his servant Ibrahim in advance, in order to pro- 
cure another camel from the vizier, while he remained with me. 
When we set out again we took the direct route to the camp, 
the road being enlivened by horsemen, camels, and pedes- 
trians. 

We soon obtained a first view of the camp with its tents ; 
but it made no remarkable impression upon me, being still in 
an unfinished state, including only those people who were in 
the most intimate connection with the court. 
22 



254 LAMl'NO. — ARMY IN MOTION. 

The "ngaufate" having its fixed arrangements, our place 
was assigned near the tents of Lamino, at some distance east 
from those of Haj Beshir. As the greater part of the cour- 
tiers were taking at least a portion of their harim with them to 
the "kerigu," a simple tent was not sufficient for them ; but, 
by means of curtains made of striped cotton stuff, a certain 
space is encompassed in order to insure greater privacy. For 
the sheikh and the vizier, as long as we remained in the Bdrnu 
territories, at every new encampment an inclosure of matting 
was erected ; for it is not the custom, as has been asserted, to 
separate the royal camp from that of the rest, at least not on 
expeditions into a hostile country, nor has it been so in former 
times. The common soldiers had no further protection, except 
some light and small huts with high gables, which some of 
them had built with the tall stalks of the Indian corn, which 
lay in great abundance on the stubble-fields. 

But I shall first say a few words about our friend Lamino, 
whom I had already occasionally mentioned, and with whom 
on this expedition we came into closer contact. This man 
furnishes an example how, in this country, notwithstanding the 
immense difference of civilization, in reality matters take the 
same course as in Europe, where notorious rogues and sharpers 
often become the best police functionaries. Lamino, origi- 
nally " El Amin," had formerly been a much-dreaded highway 
robber, but had now become chef de police, or, as the Hausa 
people would say, " serki-n-karfi," being, in consequence of his 
hard-heartedness and total want of the gentler feelings, of the 
greatest importance to the vizier, whose mild character did not 
allow him personally to adopt severe measures. Imprisoning 
people and ordering them to be whipped constituted one of 
Lamino 's chief pleasures. 

Wednesday, November 2Qth. Early in the morning the sig- 
nal for the decampment of the army was given in front of the 
tent of the sheikh by the sound of the great drum, and in 
broad battle-array ("bata") the army, with its host of 
cavalry, moved onward over the plain, which was covered with 



VISIT TO THE VIZIER AND SHEIKH. 255 

tall reeds, and showed only here and there a few signs of cul- 
tivation. 

This time I still remained with the camels and the train- 
oxen, which, mixed with pedestrians and some single horse- 
men in long unbounded lines, kept along the road, while single 
traops of Kanembii spearmen, in their light, fanciful garments, 
mostly consisting of a small apron of rags, or a hide tied round 
the loins, and armed with their light wooden shields, passed 
the luggage-train, shouting out in their wild native manner. 
Thus, after a march of about eleven miles, we reached the 
cotton-fields of Yedi, a town of considerable magnitude, sur- 
rounded by a clay wall in a state of good repair. 

Our protector Lamino afterward sent us an excellent dish 
of rice boiled in milk, and covered with bread and honey. The 
rice was of a whiteness unusual in this country. Having re- 
ceived likewise a dish of bread and honey from the vizier, we 
thought it our duty to pay him a visit, and, through his media- 
tion, to the sheikh also. The sheikh had alighted at his spa- 
cious clay mansion outside the walls of the city, and he was 
just occupied with granting a grand reception to the towns- 
people. 

After the usual exchange of compliments, our discourse 
turned upon Captain Denham, (Rais Khalil), who had once 
taken the same road in conjunction with Kashella Barka Gha- 
na, and with Bu-Khaliim. On this occasion also the manner 
in which old M'allem Shadeli or Chadeli, then a simple faki, 
who was present, behaved tow T ard that Christian was men- 
tioned. "We related to them what a faithful description Major 
Denham had given, in the narrative of his adventures, of the 
hostile disposition of the faki, when the old m'allem, who was 
now one of the grandees of the empire, in order to revenge 
himself upon Major Denham and ourselves, described to the 
assembly, with sundry sarcastic hints, how he had seen the 
major, after his shameful defeat at Musfaya, half dead and 
stripped of his clothes, and exhibiting to uninitiated eyes all 
the insignia which mark the difference between the faithful and 
unfaithful. The whole spirit in which the story was told bore 



256 di'kowa. 

evidence of the enlightened character and the tolerance of these 
gentlemen. 

All the people behaved very friendly, and the sheikh sent us 
in the evening two sheep, a load of " ngaberi " or sorghum, 
besides two dishes of prepared food. We were also entertained 
by a young musician, who had accompanied Mr. Overw^g 
during his voyage on the Tsad, and in this way there was no 
end of feasting. Nor was there any want of intellectual food, 
the inquisitive and restless vizier being desirous of learning 
from us as much as possible on this expedition, where he en- 
joyed plenty of leisure. Here we remained also the following 
day, as some more detachments were to join the army. 

Monday, December 1st. Soon after starting, early in the 
morning we had to traverse some underwood, which caused a 
great rush and much confusion among the undisciplined army, 
so that two or three horsemen were seriously injured. On 
such occasions, as well as in the thick covert of the forest, I 
had full opportunity of testing the valuable properties of the 
Arab stirrups, which protect the whole leg, and, if skilfully 
managed, keep every obtruder at a respectful distance ; indeed, 
I am almost sure that if, on these my African wanderings, I 
had made use of the English stirrups, I should have lost both 
my legs. Our way afterward led over monotonous firki ground, 
where we were cheered by the sight of some fine crops of 
sorghum. Detached hamlets were seen in every direction, even 
where the country did not present any traces of cultivation ; 
but, with the exception of the Shuwa villages, this province 
does not contain many small hamlets, the population being con- 
centrated in larger places. Underwood succeeded to the firki 
ground, and extended to the very walls of the large town of 
Dikowa. 

The sight of this town, with its walls overtowered by the 
regularly-shaped crowns of magnificent fig-trees, was very im- 
posing. The western wall, along which our road lay, was 
covered with women and children, and we met a numerous pro- 
cession of females in their best attire, who were going to salute 
their .sovereign upon his arrival at the encampment 5 and, 



ENCAMPMENT AT Dl'KOWA. 257 

coming from the capital, which is distinguished by the ugliness 
of its female inhabitants, I was agreeably surprised at their 
superior countenance and figure. But, though the observer 
might be gratified with the personal appearance of the natives, 
their industry was questionable ; for only a small tract of cul- 
tivated ground was to be seen on this side of the town, girt by 
a forest of mighty trees. 

The encampment, or "ngaufate, " began to form close to the 
southern wall of the town, amid sandy ground free from trees, 
and completely surrounded by a thick covert. Although it 
was December, the sun was very powerful ; and, until the 
camels arrived, I sat down in the shade of a" bito " or Bala- 
nites, while the encampment was spreading out in all direc- 
tions, and approached the edge of the covert. I then gave up 
my shady place to Kashella Jato, an officer of the musketeers, 
who, in acknowledgement, offered me a clear piece of delicious 
gum, just taken from the tree and full of sweet fluid, in which 
state it is certainly a delicacy, and is so esteemed here as well 
as in Western Negroland. The encampment springing up 
gradually from the ground, with its variety of light dwellings 
built only for the moment ; the multifarious appearance of 
armed people ; the numbers of horses of all colors, some of 
the most exquisite beauty ; the uninterrupted train of beasts 
of burden, camels, and pack-oxen, laden with the tents, furni- 
ture, and provisions, and mounted by the wives and concubines 
of the different chiefs, well dressed and veiled, altogether pre- 
sented a most interesting picture ; for now almost the whole 
host, or '* kebii," had collected, and twenty thousand men, with 
ten thousand horses, and at least as many beasts of burden, 
were no doubt assembled on this spot. 

At length our two tents also were pitched, and we could 
make ourselves as comfortable as the scanty shade which they 
afforded allowed us. 

In the evening, our conversation with the vizier turning 

upon the means which remained for Bdrnu to attain once more 

to her former greatness, these devastating expeditions and 

slave-hunts fell under discussion, and I took the liberty to indi- 

22* 



258 CONVERSATION ON THE SLAVE-TRADE. 

Gate, in opposition to such a system, the necessity of a well- 
established government, with a strong military force capable 
of extending their dominion. I also called the attention of the 
vizier to the point that, as they could never rely upon the 
Turks, who might easily cut off all supplies of foreign mer- 
chandise, it was greatly to their interest to keep open to them- 
selves that large river which passed a short distance to the 
south of their dominions, and which would enable them to 
supply themselves with every kind of European manufacture 
at a much cheaper rate than they were able to obtain them by 
the northern route. He did not hesitate to throw the whole 
blame upon the former sultans ; but those poor men, when 
they possessed the dominion of the Kwana tribe, probably 
had no idea that the river which ran through their territory 
joined the sea ; and even if they had, the relation between 
Islam and Christianity at that period was of so hostile a cha- 
racter that, for the very reason that this stream might open to 
the Christians a more easy access to their country, they 
shunned any nearer connection with it as dangerous. How- 
ever, under the present entirely altered state of affairs, there 
is no question that an energetic native chief, basing his power 
on a supply of European merchandise, as facilitated by the 
River Benuwe, might easily dominate a great part of Central 
Africa ; but energy is just the very thing these people are 
wanting in. 

From this point of our discourse there was an es*sy transi- 
tion to that of the abolition of slavery ; and here my late la- 
mented friend, Mr. Overweg, made a most eloquent speech on 
this important question. The vizier could not bring forward 
any other argument in his defence than that the slave-trade fur- 
nished them with the means of buying muskets ; and, lament- 
able as it is, this is certainly the correct view of the subject, 
for even on the west coast the slave-trade originated in the 
cupidity of the natives in purchasing the arms of Europeans. 
Such is the history of civilization I If the poor natives of 
Africa had never become acquainted with this destructive im- 
plement of European ingenuity, the slave-trade would never 



CONVERSATION ON THE SLAVE-TRADE. 259 

have reached those gigantic proportions which it has attained ; 
for at first the natives of Africa wanted fire-arms as the surest 
means of securing their independence of, and superiority over 
their neighbors; but in the further course of affairs, these in- 
struments of destruction became necessary because they en- 
abled them to hunt down less favored tribes, and, with a supply 
of slaves so obtained, to procure for themselves those luxuries 
of European civilization with which they had likewise become 
acquainted. This is the great debt which the European owes 
to the poor African, that after having caused, or at least in- 
creased, this nefarious system on his first bringing the natives 
of those regions into contact with his state of civilization, 
which has had scarcely any but a demoralizing effect, he ought 
now also to make them acquainted with the beneficial effects 
of that state of society. Entering, therefore, into the views 
of our hosts, I told them that their country produced many 
other things which they might exchange for fire-arms, without 
being forced to lay waste the whole of the neighboring coun- 
tries, and to bring misery and distress upon so many thou- 
sands. 

I informed them of the last negotiations of her Britannic 
majesty's messengers with the King of Dahom6, when our 
friend, listening with the greatest interest to the account of 
these noble endeavors of her majesty's government, which he 
could not but admire, declared, in the most distinct manner, 
that if the British government were able to furnish them with 
a thousand muskets andfour cannons, they would be willing to 
subscribe any obligatory article for abolishing the slave-trade 
in their country — of course not including, all at once, domestic 
slavery, for such a measure would scarcely be feasible in a 
country where all the relations of domestic life are based upon 
this system. But the abolition of the foreign slave-trade would 
be the beginning of a better system. However, I told them 
that, supposing government were to entertain such a proposal, 
the first thing for them to do was to open themselves a road to 
the River Benuwe, as it would be difficult, not only with re- 
spect to the state of the country to be traversed, but also on 



260 di'ggera. 

account of the suspicions of the Turks, to provide them with 
such a military store by way of the desert. But at present 
this whole question has been superseded ; the vizier himself 
has succumbed, and his master, the Sheikh 'Omar, although 
he has been fortunate enough once more to usurp the sovereign 
authority, seems scarcely sufficient to hold out any guaranty of 
the stability of his dynasty. Moreover, the slave-trade at pre- 
sent is, in fact, abolished on the north coast ; and this circum- 
stance must eventually exercise a great influence over the des- 
tinies of Bdrnu, on account of its central situation, especially 
if at length a regular intercourse be established on the River 
Benuwe\ 

It was our lot to remain here several days ; for while the 
Kaniiri people, who were expected to join the expedition, had 
assembled in sufficient numbers, only a very small portion of 
the indigenous Arab or Shiiwa population had as yet come 
up ; for almost all of them live in the south-eastern parts of the 
country, where they have taken possession of the deserted 
seats of former tribes, which were annihilated or weakened in 
the relentless wars between Islamism and Paganism. 

[The army marched towards Mandara, without any inci- 
dent of importance. On the 10th of December, while at Dig- 
gera, the travellers had an opportunity of returning to Kii- 
kawa with the sheikh, but they preferred remaining with the 
army, of which the vizier now became commander-in-chief.] 

Here in Diggera, where we were only one good day's march 
distant from the capital of Mandara, our friends were obliged 
to come to a decision upon the future destination of the expe- 
dition. After the news which had arrived some days pre- 
viously that the petty chief of Mandara, whose ancestor had 
once completely defeated a countless host of the Bornu people, 
had decided upon making resistance, they had been very silent 
and dejected, and were therefore extremely delighted when at 
length, to-day, a servant of the obstinate vassal made his ap- 
pearance with a present of ten beautiful female slaves and the 
offer of complete submission. So at least we were told ; but 
the affair seemed very doubtful, and a native of Mandara, or, 




(2Cf!) 



263 

as they say, A'r-Wandala, afterward assured me that his mas- 
ter, the powerful "Tukse " of Khakhiindala, had been so far 
from making his submission to the insolent "Mothake" (by 
this name they call the Bdrnu people), that, on the contrary, 
he treated them with contempt. Which of the two assertions 
was correct I do not know ; but it is probable that the chief 
of Mandara thought it prudent to consent to some sort of com- 
promise, perhaps through the intermediation of 'Abd e' R,ah- 
man, the sheikh's brother. 

Whatever may have been the case, the vizier informed us in 
the evening, in a very cheerful manner, that the affair with 
Mandara had taken the most favorable turn, and that, in con- 
sequence, the sheikh, with a small part of the army, was to 
retrace his steps, while he himself, with the far larger portion, 
was to undertake an expedition into the Miisgu country, and 
that we, of course, were to accompany him. Now we were 
well aware that the object of this expedition was partly to 
make slaves, and that, in our character as messengers of the 
British -government, we ought to endeavor to keep aloof from 
anything connected with the infamous subject of slavery ; but 
as we could not hinder it if we kept back, and as, by accom- 
panying the expedition, we might prevent a deal of mischief, 
and might likewise have a fair opportunity of convincing our- 
selves whether what was related of the cruelty of the Moham- 
medans in these expeditions was true or exaggerated, we de- 
cided upon accompanying the vizier. At the same time, it 
was of the utmost importance to visit that very region which 
was the object of the expedition, as it was the only way to de- 
cide upon the relation between the central basin of the Tsad 
and the great western river, with its eastern branch, while there 
was no possibility of visiting it by ourselves. We had already 
convinced ourselves that the country of the Miisgu is not, as 
Major Denham has represented it, a mountainous, inaccessible 
tract ; but we were puzzled at the number of water-courses of 
which our informants had spoken, and we could not have the 
least idea how fertile a country it was, and how far remote its 
inhabitants were from that state of barbarism which had been 



264 ENTERING THE MU'SGU COUNTRY. 

imputed to them. We therefore, although reluctantly, and 
not without scruple, at length determined upon accompanying 
the expedition ; and I hope that every considerate person who 
takes into account all the circumstances in which we were 
placed will approve of our resolution. 

Wednesday, December 11th. At length we proceeded on- 
ward, entering new regions never trodden by European foot. 
Our departure having been delayed in the morning, owing to 
the separating of the army, we started rather late, leaving the 
sheikh, with the rest of the " kehii," behind. 

Thursday, December 18th. Seeing that we were now en- 
tirely in the hands of the vizier, my companion and I used to 
present ourselves at his tent every morning, and to ride for 
some time near him. I, however, soon found it pleasanter to 
keep more in the rear of the army, a little in advance of his 
female slaves ; and in the narrow paths in the midst of the 
forest, where the crowding became very disagreeable, I used 
to keep behind his led horses. Of female slaves on horseback 
and led horses the vizier had with him the moderate number 
of eight of each kind, while the sheikh had twelve ; but this 
appeared to me a small number when I afterward saw the King 
of Bagirmi returning from the expedition with a string of forty- 
five mounted female partners. These black damsels were all 
clothed in white woolen bernuses, with their faces completely 
veiled, and were closely watched. 

Tuesday, December 23d. Three heavy strokes upon the 
drum, at the dawn of day, set our motley host once more in 
motion. It was an important day, and many of the principal 
people had exchanged their common dress for a more splendid 
attire. We entered the Miisgu country, and at the same time 
came into contact with fragments of that nation who, having 
spread from the far west over one half of Africa, are restlessly 
pushing forward and overwhelming the pagan tribes in the 
interior. These are the Fiilbe or Fellata, the most interesting 
of all African tribes, who, having been driven from Bdrnn, 
have here laid the foundation of a new empire. 

Twice on our march we were obliged to make a halt : the 




~rpsf\^ 



(266) 



THE MTJ'SQU CHIEF. 267 

first time owing to the arrival of A'dishen, the Miisgu chief, 
with a troop of naked horsemen mounted on a breed of small, 
unseemly, but strong ponies, without saddles and bridles, and 
presenting altogether a most barbarous and savage spectacle. 
The second halt was caused by the appearance of a Piillo or 
Fellata chief, with two hundred horsemen of his nation, who, 
by their shirts and shawls, their saddles and bridles, certainly 
claimed a higher degree of civilization, but who, nevertheless, 
were far from exhibiting a grand appearance. The chief was 
an officer of Khiirsu, the ruler of the town or principality of 
Fette or Pette, which we had left at a short distance to the 
west. He came to join this expedition, the object of which 
was to weaken the Miisgu tribes, who, behind their natural de- 
fences of rivers and swamps, had hitherto been able to maintain 
their independence. 

Of course, on this occasion the policy of these Fiilbe chiefs 
went hand in hand with that of the Bornu people, although it 
is not a little remarkable, and serves to show the slight politi- 
cal unity existing between the integral parts of these empires, 
that while the Governor of A'damawa was at present on a 
hostile footing with the ruler of Bornu, one of his vassals was 
allowed to enter into an alliance with the latter. 

After these interruptions we pursued our march, and reached, 
about half an hour before noon, the northernmost of the Miisgu 
villages, which is called Gabari, surrounded by rich fields of 
native grain ; but everything presented a sad appearance of 
pillage and desolation. None of the inhabitants were to be 
seen ; for although subjects of A'dishen, who enjoyed the friend- 
ship and protection of the rulers of Bornu, they had thought 
it more prudent to take care of their own safety by flight than 
to trust themselves to the discretion of the undisciplined army 
of their friends and protectors. The preceding evening the 
order had been issued through the encampment that all the 
property in the villages of A'dishen should be respected, and 
nothing touched, from a cow to a fowl, grain only excepted, 
which was declared to be at the disposal of everybody. 

After a march of little less than five miles, we emerged from 



268 DISORDER. 

the thick forest, and entered upon stubble-fields with numerous 
groups of huts and wide-spreading trees, whose branches were 
all used for storing up the ranks of nutritious grass of these 
swampy grounds for a supply in the dry season. The coun- 
try was pleasant in the extreme. 

But there was one object which attracted my attention in 
particular, as it testified to a certain degree of civilization, 
which might have shamed the proud Mohammedan inhabitants 
of these countries ; for, while the latter are extremely negli- 
gent in burying their dead, leaving them without any sufficient 
protection against the wild beasts, so that most of them are 
devoured in a few days by the hyenas, here we had regular se- 
pulchres, covered in with large, well-rounded vaults, the tops 
of which were adorned by a couple of beams cross-laid, or by 
an earthen urn. 

I was so absorbed in contemplating this interesting scene, 
that I entirely forgot my own personal safety ; for the vizier, 
without my becoming aware of it, had pursued the track on 
his powerful charger at an uncommonly quick rate, and was far 
in advance. Looking around me, I found only a small number 
of Shiiwa horsemen near me, and, keeping close to them, pur- 
sued the path ; but when we emerged from the thick forest, 
and entered another well-cultivated and thickly-peopled dis- 
trict, every trace of a trodden footpath ceased, and I became 
aware that I was entirely cut off from the main body of the 
army. A scene of wild disorder here presented itself. Single 
horsemen were roving about to and fro between the fences of 
the villages ; here a poor native, pursued by sanguinary foes, 
running for his life in wild despair ; there another dragged 
from his place of refuge ; while a third was observed in the 
thick cover of a ficus, and soon became a mark for numerous 
arrows and balls. A small troop of Shiiwa horsemen were 
collected under the shade of a tree, trying to keep together a 
drove of cattle which they had taken. In vain did I address 
Shiiwa and Kaniiri, anxiously inquiring what direction the 
commander-in-chief had taken ; nobody was able to give me 
any information with regard to his whereabouts. I therefore 



A DISORDERLY HOST. 269 

scoured the village in all directions, to see if I could find by 
myself the track of the army, but the traces ran in every 
direction. 

Here I fell in with several troops of horsemen, in the same 
state of uncertainty as myself, and joined one of them, where 
there were some heavy cavalry ; neither the attendants of the 
vizier nor the man who carried his carpet could tell which di- 
rection he had taken. While anxiously looking about, I sud- 
denly heard behind us the beating of a drum or " ganga," and, 
following the sound, found a considerable number of horsemen 
of every description collected on an open area ; and here I re- 
ceived the exciting news that the pagans had broken through 
the line of march at the weakest point, and that, while the 
vizier had pursued his track, the rear had been dispersed. If 
these poor pagans, who certainly are not wanting in courage, 
were led on by experienced chieftains, and waited for the 
proper opportunity, they would be able in these dense forests, 
where cavalry is scarcely of any use, to do an immense deal 
of damage to this cowardly host, and might easily disperse 
them altogether. But the principal reason of the weakness of 
these Miisgu tribes is that they have only spears and the 
■ ' goliyo, ' ' and no arrows, else they would certainly be able to 
keep these troublesome neighbors at a respectful distance. Of 
what little use even the firelock is to the latter, I had ample 
opportunity of judging, several musketeers having come to me 
anxiously entreating me to provide them with flints, as their 
own had been lost or had proved useless. 

At length the motley host moved on without order or array ; 
but their irresolution and fear, owing to a few pagans who were 
concealed in a thicket, were so great, that after a while we re- 
traced our steps. Having then taken a more easterly direc- 
tion, we reached, through a thick forest, a large, swampy piece 
of water in low meadow-grounds, not less than a mile in 
breadth, covered with rank grass, the dry ground in some 
places intervening. Here I found a considerable part of the 
cavalry drawn up in a long line and watering their horses, and 
I learned that the encampment was near. It would have been 



270 CAMELS. — KA'KALA'. — CRUELTY. 

very unsatisfactory to be exposed to a serious attack in the 
company of the disorderly host in which I had lately found 
myself. 

Having watered my horse, I followed the, deep sound of the 
big drum of the vizier, and found the body of the army a few 
hundred yards from the eastern border of this ngaljam, in rich 
stubble-fields shaded by beautiful trees ; but as yet no tent was 
pitched, and a great deal of anxiety prevailed, the first camels 
having arrived without their loads, which they had thrown off, 
their drivers having taken to flight ; but this circumstance in- 
sured the safety of the greater part of the train, as the com- 
mander immediately dispatched two officers with their squad- 
rons to bring up the rear. To this circumstance we are in- 
debted for the safety of our own camels, which had been in 
imminent danger, the pagans having collected again in the 
rear of the principal body of the army. 

The Bornu camels are half mehara, and, while they surpass 
in strength the camels of the desert, possess a great deal of 
their swiftness. Not only does the camel which carries the 
war-drum always follow close behind the commander, at what- 
ever rate he may pursue his march, but even his other camels 
generally keep at a very short distance, and the best camels of 
the courtiers follow close behind. 

The village we had just reached was named Kakala, and is 
one of the most considerable places in the Musgu country. A 
large number of slaves had been caught this day, and in the 
course of the evening, after some skirmishing, in which three 
Bdrnu horsemen were killed, a great many more were brought 
in ; altogether they were said to have taken one thousand, and 
there were certainly not less than five hundred. To our utmost 
horror, not less than one hundred and seventy full-grown men 
were mercilessly slaughtered in cold blood, the greater part of 
them being allowed to bleed to death, a leg having been 
severed from the body. 

Monday, December 2Wi. Soon after setting out from the 
place of encampment we had to cross the ngaljam, which here, 
also, was thickly overgrown with rank grass, and the passage 




(272) 



CAMP ON FIRE. 273 

of which was very difficult, owing to the countless holes caused 
by the footprints of the elephant. We then entered a dense 
forest, where I saw^ again, for the first time, ray old Hausa ac- 
quaintance, the kokia, a middle-sized tree with large leaves 
and with a fruit of the size of an apple, which at present was 
green, but even when ripe is not edible. This tree, in the 
course of the expedition, I found to be very common in the 
wilds of this country. 

The unwarlike spirit of our large army became more appa- 
rent than ever by to-day's proceedings, for a vigorous com- 
mander would certainly have accelerated his march through 
this forest, in order to take the enemy unawares ; but long be- 
fore noon a halt was ordered in the midst of the forest — cer- 
'tainly against the inclination of the majority. There was a 
great deal of indecision, and, in truth, there seemed to be 
many who wished rather that the enemy should have time to 
escape than to incite him to make a desperate struggle for his 
safety. The neighboring pond (where, on our arrival, a herds- 
man who had come to water his cattle had been slain), we 
were told, did not contain a sufficient supply of water for the 
wants of the whole army ; and when at length we had fairly 
dismounted, the rank grass being burned down in order to 
clear the ground, and the fire being fed by a strong wind, a 
terrible conflagration ensued, which threw us into the greatest 
confusion, and obliged us to seek our safety in a hasty retreat. 
Nevertheless, after a great deal of hesitation, it was at length 
determined to encamp here. There was no scarcity of water, 
for the pond proved to be very spacious and of great depth ; 
but the grass having been burned, the whole ground was 
covered with a layer of hot ashes, which blackened every- 
thing. 

By-and-by the camels arrived, the encampment was formed, 
and every one had given himself up to repose of mind and 
body, when suddenly the alarm-drums were beaten, and every- 
body hastened to arms and mounted his horse. It seemed in- 
credible that an enemy whose movements were uncombined, 
and not directed by any good leaders, should attack such an 

s 



274 SINGULAR WATER COMBAT. 

array, of more than 10,000 cavalry and a still greater number 
of foot, although I am persuaded that a resolute attack of a 
few hundred brave men would have defeated the whole of this 
vain and cowardly host. The alarm, as was to be expected, 
proved unfounded ; but it showed the small degree of confi- 
dence which the people had in their own strength. Three 
pagan women had been seen endeavoring to reach the water 
by stealth, and this gave rise to the conclusion that the enemy 
was near, for the dense forest all around hemmed in the view 
entirely. 

[The incnrsion into the Miisgu country resulted in the sub- 
mission of the pagan prince of Demmo, a Musgu chief, who 
promised to lead the army to the conquest of a rich walled 
city, but only led them into swamps and water-courses. The 
following incident is characteristic of this barbarous and con- 
temptible war. The date is January 2d, 1853.] 

The whole army was in such a mood as to be glad to find 
any object on which to vent its anger ; and such a one soon 
presented itself; for, when we reached a water-course, and were 
watering our horses, four natives were seen, who, evidently confi- 
ding in their courage and their skill in swimming, had here taken 
refuge in the deepest part of the water, in order to give infor- 
mation to their countrymen of the retreat of the enemy. As 
soon as our friends caught sight of this little troop of heroes, 
they determined to sacrifice them to their vengeance. With 
this view, the whole of the cavalry arranged themselves in close 
lines on each side of the water. But the task was not so easy 
as it appeared at first, and all the firing of the bad marksmen 
was in vain, the Musgu diving with remarkable agility. When 
the vizier saw that in this way these heroes could not be over- 
powered, he ordered some Kanembu to enter the water; and a 
very singular kind of combat arose, the like of which I had 
never seen before, and which required an immense deal of 
energy ; for, while these people had to sustain themselves 
above the water with the help of their feet, they had, at the 
same time, to jump up, throw the spear, and parry the thrusts 



PARTITION OF SLAVES. 275 

of their adversaries. The poor Miisgu people, on their side, 
were not only fighting for their lives, but even, as it were, for 
their national honor. They were of large and muscular frame, 
single-handed far superior to the Kanembii ; but at length, 
after a protracted struggle, the superior numbers of the Ka- 
nembu got the upper hand, and the corpses of three of the 
Miisgu were seen swimming on the surface of the water. But 
the fourth and last appeared to be invincible, and the Kanem- 
bii, who had lost two of their companions, gave him up in 
despair. 

After this inglorious victory we pursued our march home- 
ward, keeping a little more to the north than when we came. 
This part of the country exhibited the same fertile and plea- 
sant character as that we had seen before. It was densely in- 
habited and well cultivated, even tobacco being grown to a 
great extent. As for the villages themselves, they afforded 
the same appearance of comfort and cheerfulness which we had 
observed in the others. But all these abodes of human happi- 
ness were destroyed by fire. 

After having accomplished these great deeds, we returned to 
our encampment. Here we remained during the two follow- 
ing days, while the most important business was transacted. 
This was the partition of the slaves who had been taken during 
the expedition ; and the proceeding was accompanied by the 
most heart-rending scenes, caused by the number of young 
children, and even infants, who were to be distributed, many 
of these poor creatures being mercilessly torn away from their 
mothers, never to see them again. There were scarcely any 
full-grown men. 

[Three days after this affair, without accomplishing any- 
thing more, the army of Bdrnu began its march homeward.] 

January $th. The whole district in which we had been 
roving about since the 30th of December belongs to Wuliya, 
which is certainly one of the most fertile and best-irrigated 
regions in the world. 

A desolate border district, consisting at times of green 
swampy ground uprooted by the footprints of the elephant, 



276 ARRIVAL AT KU'kAWA. 

and on this account affording a very difficult passage for 
cavalry, at others of dense forest, the one following the other 
in rapid succession, separated Wuliya from another princi- 
pality of the name of Barea, and inhabited by a tribe of the 
Miisgu of the name of A'bare. It was characteristic of the 
little peaceful intercourse which exists among these various 
petty tribes that the A'bare did not seem to have had the 
slightest information of the approach of the expedition till we 
suddenly came upon them through the dense forest, so that 
they had scarcely time to escape with their families from the 
village, and endeavor to hide themselves in the dense covert of 
the forest toward the east. They were pursued and over- 
powered, after a short resistance, by the continually increasing 
numbers of the enemy, and the booty of that day, chiefly in 
cattle, was rather considerable. Slaves were also brought in 
in considerable numbers, principally young boys and girls. 
The distance of the field of battle spared us the sight of the 
slaughter of the full-grown men. 

[Before re-entering the Bdrnu territory, the spoil was di- 
vided, amounting to 10,000 head of cattle and 3000 slaves. 
The army reached Kukawa on the 1st of February.] 

February 1st. On our re-entering the capital there was a 
good deal of ceremony and etiquette observed, when the whole 
army, at least that part which had not yet been disbanded, was 
formed into one compact line of battle, in order to receive in 
a suitable manner the military salutes which were paid to the 
commander-in-chief on his successful return. Returning to our 
old quarters in the town, we were treated with a peculiar dainty 
of the Kanuri, consisting of the fresh seeds of the grain called 
masr (Zea ma'is), which are roasted in a peculiar way. 

Thus ended this expedition, which opened to us a slight 
glimpse into the richly-watered zone of the equatorial regions, 
which had been supposed to form an insurmountable barrier 
of a high mountain chain, and brought us into contact with 
tribes whose character had been represented as almost approach- 
ing to that of wild beasts. We had certainly not entered those 
regions under such circumstances as were most desirable to us, 



SETTING OUT FOR BAGI'kMI. 277 

but, on the contrary, we had been obliged to associate ourselves 
with an army whose only purpose was to spread devastation 
and misery over them. Nevertheless, situated as we were, 
while we could not prevent this mischief, we were glad that we 
had been enabled to see so much. We were without any means, 
no further supplies having arrived ; but I did not despair, and 
in order still to be able to try my fortune once more in another 
direction before I returned home, besides other articles, I even 
sold my large tent, and employed part of the proceeds to line 
my small tent, which was fast wearing out, and neither ex- 
cluded rain nor sun. 



CHAPTER XYI. 



Setting out for Bagirrai — Arrival at Kala — Logon — Leaving Logon — The 
Shari river — Not allowed to cross the river, Dr. Barth eludes the guard, 
crosses the river and enters Bagirmi — Sends a Message to the Capital 
— Unfavorable Answer — Residence at Bakada — Attempt to leave Ba- 
girmi — Dr. Barth is arrested and put in irons — Again set Free — 
Arrival at the Capital — Interview with Lieutenant-Governor Faki 
Sambo — Dr. Barth suspected to be a rain-maker — The Ladies. 

I had returned to the town on the 1st of February, 1852; 
on the 4th of March I again set out on a journey to Bagirmi. 
However, I did not feel very confident as to the success of my 
enterprise. The Sultan of Bagirmi was reported as being ab- 
sent from his capital on an expedition to the southeast of his 
dominions, but I was given to understand that there would be 
no great difficulty in addressing myself to the lieutenant-gov- 
ernor, whom he had left to represent him in his absence, in 
order to be allowed to join him, and to be thus enabled to ex- 
plore those more southern regions which by myself I had no 
prospect of visiting. I introduced myself, accordingly, to the 
agent of that prince, who resides in Kiikawa. This man is a 
eunuch, who was made prisoner by the Kanuri in the second 
24 



278 PARTING WITH MR. OYERWEG. 

battle of Xg'ila, and had risen to the dignity of mestrema or 
first eunuch of the Sultan of Bdrnu. But, although I made 
him a small present, he received me rather coolly, and did not 
inspire me with much confidence as to my ultimate success. 

I had exhausted my means entirely, having been obliged to 
purchase at high prices, for credit, even the very small supply 
of presents which I was able to take with me. I had only two 
very indifferent servants, Mohammed ben Habib and Moham- 
med ben A'hmed, both young lads from Fezzan, as limited in 
their intelligence as they were conceited in their pretensions as 
Moslemin, and not possessing the least knowledge of the coun- 
try which we were about to visit. 

The only animals I had for my conveyance were a horse and 
a she-camel. Hence I did not set out with that spirit of con- 
fidence which insures success ; but, having determined to return 
to Europe if new supplies did not very soon arrive, I resolved 
to make a last desperate attempt to accomplish something before 
I finally left the country. 

Mr. Overweg accompanied me as far as Ngdrnu, where we 
took up our quarters with my friend the Kashella Kotokd. 
Here, in my present destitute condition, I was greatly delighted 
at receiving, by private message from the vizier, a small parcel 
of coffee, and from the M'allem Mohammed a loaf of sugar. 
Such tokens of disinterested friendship are very gratifying to 
the traveller in a foreign land. 

Friday, March bth. At the beginning of the cotton-planta- 
tion I took leave of my European companion. He was to make 
an excursion, accompanied by Kotokd, along the shores of the 
lake toward Maduwari — the very place where, in the course 
of a few months, he was destined to succumb. 

[On the 7th of March Dr. Barth reached Xgola, in the pro- 
vince of Kotokd, on the 10th Afades, the largest town of 
Kotokd, and on the 12th Kala.] 

Kiila is the first town of the territory of Logon or Ldgone, 
the boundary of which we had crossed a short time before. 
Having entered the town through an extremely narrow gate, 
which scarcely allowed my bare and slender she-camel to pass 



279 

through after having taken from her back the whole load, I 
was struck with the very different aspect it exhibited from the 
regions we had just left ; for, while the dwellings testified to a 
certain degree of civilization, the inhabitants themselves seemed 
to approach nearer to the pagans than to the Mohammedans. 
We had scarcely entered the town when we were surrounded 
by a troop of boys and young lads from seven to twelve years 
of age, tall and well built, and in a state of entire nudity, a 
thing hardly ever seen in the country of Bdrnu, even with 
slaves. The type of their features, however, was very differ- 
ent from the general type observed in the Bdrnu people, and 
seemed to indicate more intelligence and cunning. I have 
already observed, in the country of Miisgu, how the state of 
the dwellings contrasts with the apparel, or rather the want of 
apparel, of the people themselves ; but here it seemed more 
remarkable, for the dwellings in general did not consist of 
round conical huts, but of spacious oblong houses of clay of 
considerable elevation. I was quartered in one of these struc- 
tures, but found it rather close and full of dust. 

March IBth. We entered the capital of Logon — Logdn 
Birni, or Karnak Loggon, as it is called by the Shuwa, or 
Kiirnak Logone or Loggene, as it is called by the Kanuri. 
The town on this side, (the northwestern) has only one gate ; 
and it was so narrow that we were obliged to unload the camel 
before we were able to pass through. The energy and activity 
of this place is naturally concentrated on the eastern side 
toward the river, where it has seven gates. 

The interior of the town, where we entered it, had not a 
very animated appearance. The cottages, belonging evidently 
to the poorer classes of people, are in a wretched condition, 
and the only animation which the scenery presented was due to 
a group of dum-palms, towering over this poor quarter from 
the north side. The character of the place improved, how- 
ever, as we advanced ; the streets were tolerably large, and I 
was struck with the appearance of the principal street or dendal, 
which is formed by the palace of the sultan or miyara, toward 



280 

the south, and the house of the Kenghamma or Ibalaghw&n, 
toward the north. 

[Dr. Barth staid till the 16th of March in this place, visited 
Miyara Y'suf, the Sultan of Logon, and made an excursion 
on the river Logon, on which the town is built. This river is 
a branch of the Shari.] 

March 15th. It was ten o'clock in the morning when I left 
Karnak Logon in order to penetrate into unknown regions, 
never before trodden by European foot ; and a short time after- 
ward I was sitting in the boat, while our horses, the camel, and 
the bullock were partly swimming across and partly fording 
the river. The water was in general shallow, though in the 
deepest place it measured eight feet and a half. The current 
was about three miles an hour. 

These shallow water-courses are, as I have already had oc- 
casion to mention on my journey to Miisgu, one of the most 
characteristic features in this part of Central Africa, which 
was thought to be a dry, elevated waste. Naked young lads 
were splashing and playing about in the water, together with 
wild hogs, in the greatest harmony ; never in any part of 
Negroland have I seen this animal in such numbers as here 
about the Shari. Calves and goats were pasturing in the 
fields, with wild hogs in the midst of them. 

When we pursued our march at two o'clock in the afternoon, 
I was greatly pleased to see numbers of fine horses round the 
groups of Shiiwa villages which bordered the water-course, 
while the whole scenery was enlivened by the rich foliage of 
wide-spreading trees. 

Wednesday, March Y\th. We continued our march alone. 
On the east side of the town a little cultivation was to be seen, 
the country here being very swampy, and inundated during the 
rainy season. It is covered with a dense jungle, and wild 
beasts in great numbers. Water is close under the surface of 
the ground, and the well that we passed, near a Shiiwa village, 
was only three fathoms deep. Near the village of Atmarchari, 
which we left on our right, there were traces of cultivation, 
trees being cut down and the ground cleared to make room for 



281 

corn-fields ; the village is inhabited by Kanuri people. Soon 
after, the forest became denser than before, climbing plants 
running up the trees, and hanging down in festoons from the 
branches. Here it was that I first saw the footprints of the 
rhinoceros, an animal which is unheard of in all the western 
parts of Negroland. The people of this part of Logon call 
the animal "birni," the name usual in Bagirmi, while the real 
name in the language of the country is " ngirme. " The 
Kanuri call it " kargad an " or"barkajan" — the very name 
already mentioned by El Edrisi. It is greatly feared by the 
inhabitants, who sometimes encounter these ferocious animals 
on the narrow footpaths which wind through the thick forests 
of their country. 

I had gone on a little in advance, when suddenly I beheld 
through the branches of the trees the splendid sheet of a large 
river, far larger than that of Logon. All was silence, and the 
pellucid surface of the water undisturbed by the slightest 
breeze; no vestiges of human or animal life were to be seen, 
with the exception of two river-horses (called "niye " by the 
people of Logon), which, having been basking in the sun on 
the shore, plunged into the water at our approach. This, then, 
was the real Shari, that is to say, the great river of the Kotokd 
(for Shari means nothing else but river), which, augmented by 
the smaller but very considerable River of Logon, forms that 
large basin which gives to this part of Negroland its cha- 
racteristic feature. The river at this spot runs from S. 30° W. 
to N. 30° E., but its general course is rather winding, coming 
farther upward from the south, and beyond forming a reach 
from E. 38° N. 

The shore where I stood enjoying the tranquil but beautiful 
scenery is closely approached by the forest, and has an elevation 
of about fifteen feet. No human habitation was to be seen, 
with the exception of a small village on the other side. The 
surface of the water was undisturbed, except now and then by 
a fish leaping up ; no water-fowl enlivened the banks ; not a 
single boat was to be seen, till at length we observed the ferry- 
men on the opposite shore, where it formed a flat and sandy 



U 



282 NOT ALLOWED TO CROSS THE RIVER. 

beach, making us a sign that we were to proceed a little higher 
up the river, in order not to miss the landing-place when car- 
ried down by the current. We therefore went about 800 yards 
further up ; and I made myself comfortable under the shade 
of a tree, awaiting the boat, and indulging in the thought that 
I was soon to enter a new country, never before trodden by 
European foot. 

At length the boat came, but the ferrymen, as soon as they 
saw who we were, behaved in a strange and mysterious manner, 
and told us they could not take us across the river before they 
had informed their master. However uncommon such a pre- 
caution seemed to be, I had as yet no idea of the real state of 
affairs. We therefore sat down patiently to await the answer, 
which we thought a mere matter of form. 

While we were chatting together the boatmen returned, 
bringing with them the astounding answer that the chief of the 
village, A'su, would not allow me to cross the river. 

We could at first scarcely imagine what was the reason of 
this unforseen obstacle, when the boatman informed us that 
Haj A'hmed, the head man of those Bagirmi people whom I 
have mentioned as returning from Kiikawa to their native 
country, had assured them that I was a most dangerous person, 
and that the Yizier of Bdrnu himself had told them there was 
great danger that, if I should enter the country of Bagirmi 
in the absence of the sultan, I might upset his throne and 
ruin his kingdom. As there were some of the chief men 
of the village in the boat, we used every means to convince 
them of the absurdity of such calumnies ; but all was in vain, 
and it became evident that we should certainly not be allowed 
to cross the river at this spot. 

[Dr. Barth succeeded in crossing the river at another point 
and entering the territory of Bagirmi, he passed a short time 
at Mele, on the Shari, whence he sent a trooper to the capital 
of Bagirmi, to obtain the sultan's permission to reside in the 
country.] 

Thursday, March 2Uh. It was about noon when, to my 
great delight, my trooper Grema 'Abdii returned from his 



THE sha'ri/ again. 283 

errand. He was accompanied by two attendants of the Zerma, 
or rather Kadamange, the lieutenant-governor whom the sultan 
had left during his absence in command of the capital. I was 
disappointed, however, in my expectation that I should be 
allowed, without further delay, to reach the capital myself, for 
the messengers produced a document, provided with a large 
black seal, to the effect that I was to await the answer of the 
sultan in Biigoman, a place higher up the river, the inhabitants 
of which, together with those of a neighboring town, called 
Miskin, were to provide me with fresh fish and milk during my 
stay there. Although anxious to join the sultan himself, I had 
nothing to object to such an arrangement, and was glad to 
move on, if it were only a little. 

March 28th. At an early hour we pursued our march, ap- 
proaching the town of Biigoman, where I was to await further 
orders from the sultan. The country exhibited signs of con- 
siderable elevation, and numerous farming hamlets, called 
"yoweo" by the Bagirmi people, were spread about; at pre- 
sent, however, they were tenantless, being only inhabited during 
the rainy season by the "field hands," as an American would 
say. 

After a march of about four miles, and having passed a 
swampy meadow-ground with numerous traces of the rhinoce- 
ros, we again stood on the banks of the great river of Bagirmi, 
the Shari or Ba. 

My escort, together with the two servants of Zerma, had 
gone into the town to announce my arrival, and to inform the 
head man of the order of the lieutenant-governor, that I was 
to await here the commands of the sultan ; but no answer came. 
In vain did I endeavor to protect myself from the burning rays 
of the sun by forming a temporary shelter of my carpet ; for 
the sun in these climes is never more severe than just before the 
setting in of the rainy season, and we had generally at two 
o'clock between 106° and 110°. As noon passed by I grew 
impatient, especially as I had nothing to eat, there being no 
firewood even for cooking a very simple meal. 

At length, a little before three o'clock, my messengers re- 



284 DISAPPOINTMENTS. 

turned, and their countenances indicated that they Were not the 
bearers of satisfactory news. The Governor of Biigoman re- 
fused obedience to the direct order of his lord, the Sultan of 
Bagirmi, and declined receiving me into the town. Nothing 
was left but to retrace our steps to the village Matuwari, where 
we had been so hospitably entertained. 

Here we remained the following morning, and I had sufficient 
time to reflect on my condition in this country. There could 
not be the least doubt that the greater part of the inhabitants 
were unfavorably inclined toward the stranger ; and I was per- 
suaded that the best course for me to pursue would be to return 
to Logon, and there quietly await the answ T er of the sultan ; 
but my companions were not of my opinion, and assured me I 
was not at liberty to leave the country after I had once entered 
it. It w T as therefore decided that we should proceed in the 
direction of the capital, and make our further proceedings de- 
pendent upon circumstances. 

[The doctor now proceeded towards the capital and sent for- 
ward his trooper Grema again, to obtain the sultan's permission 
to remain in the country. The sultan himself was absent from 
the capital on a military expedition ; and the lieutenant-gov- 
ernor had the direction of affairs at the capital. While waiting 
the return of Grema, the doctor staid at Bakada with the Haj 
Bu Baher.] 

Meanwhile I waxed impatient. At length, on the evening 
of the 6th of April, my escort Grema (whom on the last day 
of March I had sent to the capital to bring me a decisive 
answer without delay) returned with a message of the lieuten- 
ant-governor — not, however, to grant either of my requests, 
but rather to induce me to wait patiently till an answer should 
arrive from the sultan himself. In order that I might not starve 
in the meanwhile, they brought me a sheep and a shirt, with 
which I might buy provision in some neighboring village ; but 
as there was nothing to be got besides millet and sorghum, I 
declared it to be absolutely necessary for me either to be ad- 
mitted into the capital or to retrace my steps. I requested 
Grema to stay with me ; but he pretended he was obliged to 



ENDEAVOR TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY. 285 

return to the town, where his servant lay sick. Not suspecting 
that he wanted to leave me alone, and to join the sultan on the 
expedition, I allowed him to go, and resolved to wait a few 
days in patience. But, restless and impatient as I was, the 
delay pressed heavily upon me; and when, on the 13th, my 
kind and amiable host, Bu-Bakr Sadik, himself went to the 
capital, I had nothing to calm my disquietude. Through my 
host, I had once more addressed myself to the lieutenant- 
governor, requesting to be admitted into the capital without 
further delay ; and Bu-Bakr had promised me, in the most 
distinct terms, that before Thursday night, which was the 15th, 
I should have a decisive answer. Having only one weak camel 
to carry my luggage, I had taken scarcely any books with me 
on this excursion to Bagirmi, and the little information which 
I had been able to gather was not sufficient to give my restless 
spirit its proper nourishment, and I felt, therefore, mentally 
depressed. The consequence was, that when Thursday night 
passed away, and neither Bu-Bakr himself arrived, nor any 
message from him, I determined to put my threat into execu- 
tion, and to retrace my steps the following morning. 

Friday, April, lUh. As soon as day dawned I arose to 
prepare for my departure. The sky was overcast, and a little 
rain fell, which caused some delay ; but as soon as it ceased I 
got my camel ready and my horse saddled. Several of the 
relations and friends of Bii-Bakr endeavored to persuade me 
to remain, but my determination was too fixed ; and, pointing 
at the disgraceful manner in which I had been treated in this 
country, I mounted my horse and rode off. My three servants, 
themselves dissatisfied with the treatment they had received, 
followed sullenly. 

[On the 18th, missing his intended road, the Doctor found 
himself at Kokoroche, and as he had already been in this place 
he had reason to fear that he should here be detained.] 

Determined to put a bold face upon matters, I ordered my 
people to slaughter a sheep, and made myself as comfortable 
as possible, spreading my carpet, damaged as it was by the ants 
in Bakada, upon the ground, and assuming the appearance of 



286 DEPARTURE FOR THE RIVER. 

being quite at my ease. At that time I was not aware that in 
this country none but the sultan and a few high dignitaries were 
allowed to sit on a carpet. While the meat was cooking on 
the fire, and holding out the promise of some unwonted luxury, 
I received a visit from the father-in-law of Grema 'Abdu, my 
host in Miistafaji, and his appearance and hints confirmed my 
unfavorable anticipations. I related to him what had happened 
to me since I left him — that the Governor of Bugoman had re- 
fused to receive me into his town, and that I had remained 
eighteen days in Bakada, waiting in vain for an order to be 
allowed to enter the capital. I showed him my carpet, and 
told him how it had been half devoured by the ants, and how 
we had suffered from want of sufficient food and shelter in the 
beginning of the rainy season. He was very sorry that I had 
not been treated with more regard ; but he expressed his opinion 
that the lieutenant governor would not allow me to leave the 
country in such a way. 

Unfortunately, this man was not open enough to confess to 
me that messengers from the capital had already arrived ; 
neither did the billma, or rather " gollennange" or "gar," as 
he is here called — the head man of the village, who arrived 
with a numerous host of people just as I was about to start — 
give me any hint about it. Whether he came with the intention 
of keeping me back, and was afraid of executing his design,. I 
do not know. In any case, it would have been far more agree- 
able to me if my fate had been decided here instead of at Mele. 
As it was, he sent one of his people with me to show me the 
track to the river, and I started about an hour after noon. 

Considerable showers, which had fallen here seven days pre- 
viously, had changed the dry character of the country, and re- 
vived its luxuriant nature. The whole district presented the 
cheerful aspect of spring. Fresh meadow-lands spread out ; 
and we passed some extensive sheets of water, bordered by un- 
dulating banks in the freshest verdure. We passed several 
villages, among which one, called Mai-Dala, was distinguished 
by its neat appearance, most of the huts having been recently 
thatched, to protect them against the rains. In the forest which 



me'le' again. 287 

intervened, dum-bushes and dum-palms, here called "koldngo, 
attracted my attention, on account of the wide range this plant 
occupies in Central Africa, while it was erroneously believed to 
belong exclusively to Upper Egypt. Having passed the shal- 
low water of Ambusada, where numbers of the blue-feathered 
bird, here called " delink, " with red feet, were splashing about, 
we again approached the inauspicious village where I had first 
set ray foot in this country. 

As I entered the village I was saluted by the inhabitants as 
an old acquaintance, and pitched my tent quietly on the former 
spot. 

April \§th. This was a memorable day to me, destined to 
teach me a larger share of stubborn endurance. Having passed 
a quiet night, I began early to speak to the head man of the 
village about crossing the river, making him at the same time 
a small present. In Bagirmi also, as well as in Logon and 
other parts of Negroland, there is a separate officer for the 
river-communication. This officer, who in Bagirmi bears the 
title of alifa-ba (" keman-komadugube" or "officer of the 
river"), has an agent or kashella in every village on the banks 
of the river where there is a ferry ; and this agent was absent 
at the time. Meanwhile I was conversing with several of my 
former friends, and, among others, met an inhabitant of Jogode, 
who regretted extremely that I had missed my road to that 
place, as I should have been well treated there, and forwarded 
on my journey without obstacle, almost all of the inhabitants 
being Kanuri. The governor of that place, who, like that of 
Moito, bears the title of "alifa, " had left, as this man informed 
me, in order to join the sultan on the expedition. 

While I was thus conversing, the head man of the village 
suddenly came to my tent, and informed me that messengers 
had arrived from the lieutenant-governor in order to prevent 
my proceeding ; and upon his asking me what I intended to 
do, I told him that I would divide the time which I should be 
obliged to wait between this place, Jogode, and Klesem, but 
that, if I should be compelled to wait too long, I should feel 
rather inclined to return to Logon. They rejected my pro- 



288 TAKEN PRISONER. 

posal, and requested that I should stay in Mele, saying that 

the inhabitants of the village had promised to supply me with 
rice and fish, and that I ought not to stir from here. While I 
was quietly expostulating with him upon this treatment, telling 
him that this was almost impossible, the place being too badly 
provided, and that they might at least allow me to remain half 
the time in the neighboring village of Klesem, gradually more 
and more people entered the tent, and, suddenly seizing me, 
put my feet in irons. 

Perhaps the unexpectedness of such an occurrence was 
rather fortunate, for if I had in the least divined their purpose, 
I might have made use of my arms ; but, taken by surprise 
and overpowered as I was, I resigned myself in patience, and 
did not speak a word. The people not only carried away my 
arms, but also all my luggage ; and, what grieved me most, 
they seized my chronometer, compass, and journal. Having 
then taken down my tent, they carried me to an open shed, 
where I was guarded by two servants of the lieutenant 
governor. 

After all this trying treatment, I had still to hear a moral 
lecture given me by one of these half pagans, who exhorted me 
to bear my fate with patience, for ail came from God. 

Even my servants at first were put in irons ; but when they 
protested that if they were not set at liberty I should have no- 
body to serve me, their fetters were taken off, and they came 
faithfully to me to soothe my misfortune. In the evening the 
slave of the alifa-ba mounted my horse, and, taking one of my 
pistols with him, rode off to Mas-ena. 

Having remained silently in the place assigned tc me till the 
evening, I ordered my servants to demand my tent back, and 
to pitch it in the old place ; and, to my great satisfaction, my 
request was granted. Thus I passed the four following days 
quietly in my tent, and, although fettered like a slave, resigned 
to my fate. Fortunately, I had Mungo Park's first journey 
with me ; and I could never have enjoyed the account of his 
sufferings among the Ludamar (Welad-Ammer) better than I 



AGAIN SET FREE. 289 

did in such a situation, and did not fail to derive from his 
example a great share of patience. 

It was in this situation that, while reflecting on the possi- 
bility of Europeans civilizing these countries, I came to the 
conclusion that it would be absolutely necessary, in order to 
obtain the desired end, to colonize the most favorable tract of 
the country inclosed by the Kwara, the Benuwe, and the River 
Kadiina, and thus to spread commerce and civilization in all 
directions into the very heart of the continent. Thus I wrote 
in my journal: " This is the only means to answer the desired 
end ; everything else is vain. 

April 23d. While lying in my tent in the course of the even- 
ing, my friend from Bakadi, Hnj Bu-Bakr Sadik, arrived on 
my horse, and, being seized with indignation at the sight of 
my fetters, ordered them to be taken off without delay. I 
begged him to forgive me for having regarded myself as a free 
man, and not as a slave, not being aware of the real nature of 
my situation in this country. He, however, praised my con- 
duct very highly, saying that I could not have acted otherwise 
than I did, and promising that I should now enter the capital 
without further delay of any kind. 

Remaining cool and quiet under the favorable change of my 
circumstances, I thanked Providence for having freed me from 
this unpleasant situation, regarding it in the light of a useful 
lesson for future occasions. All my property was restored to 
me, even my arms, with the exception of the pistol which had 
been taken to the capital. However, the following day I had 
still to resign myself to patience, the chief servant of the lieu- 
tenant-governor not having yet arrived, and my horse, which 
had made the journey to the capital and back with great 
speed, wanting a little rest. 

Sunday, April 25th. Early in the morning we entered upon 
our march once more, in an easterly direction ; and although I 
had not yet experienced very kind treatment in this country, I 
was prepared to endure everything rather than to forego see- 
ing the capital ; but my poor servants were very differently 
disposed ; for, having no mental interest, they felt the material 
25 T 



290 ARRIVAL AT THE CAPITAL. 

privations more heavily. While they viewed with horror our 
projected journey eastward, they cast a melancholy look on the 
opposite bank of the river, which promised them freedom from 
privation as well as from vexation. 

It was now for the fourth time that I was passing along the 
banks of the stream. It was at present at its very lowest 
(" ba neddnge," as the Bagirmi people say), having sunk a 
foot or two since I first saw it, and having laid bare a much 
larger part of the sand-bank. People in Europe have no idea 
of the situation of a solitary traveller in these regions. If I 
had been able to proceed according to my wishes, my road, 
from the very first moment when I entered the country, would 
have lain straight along the course of this mighty river toward 
its sources ; but a traveller in these countries is no better than 
a slave, dependent upon the caprice of people without intelli- 
gence and full of suspicion. All that I could expect to be 
able to accomplish, under present circumstances, was to ob- 
tain distinct information concerning the upper course of the 
river ; for, ardent as had been my desire to join the sultan on 
his expedition, from all that I had seen, I could scarcely expect 
that the people would allow me to go any distance. 

Tuesday, April Z^th. We set out early in the morning, in 
order to reach at length the final object of our journey before 
the heat of the day. 

As we were proceeding onward we suddenly obtained a view 
over a green, open depression, clad with the finest verdure, and 
interspersed with the ruins of clay houses. This, then, was 
Mas-ena, the capital. It presented the same ruined appear- 
ance as the rest of the country. 

The town was formerly much larger, and the wall had been 
carried back, but it was still far too large for the town, and 
in the utmost state of decay. Ruined by a most disastrous 
civil war, and trodden down by its neighbors, the country of 
Bagirmi seems to linger till it is destined either to rise again, 
or to fall a prey to the first invader. 

However, I was not allowed to enter the holy precinct of 
this ruined capital without further annoyance ; for, being 



PRESENTS TO THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR. 291 

obliged to send a message to the lieutenant-governor announc- 
ing my arrival, I was made to wait more than an hour and a 
half outside the gate, although there was not the least shade. 
I was then allowed to make my humble entrance. Only a few 
human beings were to be seen, and open pasture-grounds ex- 
tended to a considerable distance, principally on the right side 
toward the south. We then entered the inhabited quarter, 
and I was lodged in a clay house standing in an open court- 
yard, which was likewise fenced by a low clay wall. The 
house contained an airy front room well suited to my taste, 
and four small chambers at the back, which were certainly not 
very airy, but were useful for stowing away luggage and 
provisions. 

I had scarcely taken possession of my quarters when num- 
bers of people came to salute me on the part of the lieutenant 
governor, and a short time afterward a confidential slave of his 
made his appearance, to whom I delivered my presents, con- 
sisting of a piece of printed Manchester cotton sufficient for a 
tobe, an Egyptian shawl, several kinds of odoriferous essences, 
such as " makhbil," the fruit of a species of tilia, M luban," 
or benzoin, and a considerable quantity of sandal-wood, which 
is greatly esteemed in the countries of Negroland east of 
Bornu. While delivering these presents, and presenting my 
humble compliments, I declared myself unable to pay my re- 
spects personally to the lieutenant governor unless he restored 
my pistol, which was all that was wanting of the things which 
had been taken from me at Mele ; and, after some negotiation 
it was agreed upon that he should deliver to me the pistol as 
soon as I presented myself, without my even saying a word 
about it. 

I therefore went in the afternoon with Bu-Bakr to see him, 
and found a rather affable man, a little beyond middle age, 
simply dressed in a dark blue tobe, which had lost a good deal 
of its former lustre. Having saluted him, I explained to him 
how improper treatment and want of sufficient food had in- 
duced me to retrace my steps, after having convinced myself 
that I was not welcome in the country ; for I assured him that 



292 EXCUSE FOR INCIVILITY. — VISITORS. 

it was our utmost desire to be friends with all the princes of 
the earth, and to make them acquainted with us, and that, 
although I had known that the ruler of the country himself was 
absent, I had not hesitated in paying them a visit, as I had 
been given to understand that it would be possible to join him 
in the expedition. He excused his countrymen on the ground 
that they, not being acquainted with our character, had treated 
me as they would have done a person belonging to their own 
tribe who had transgressed the rules of the country. He then 
restored me my pistol before all the people, and desired me to 
await patiently the arrival of the sultan. 

The ruler of the country, together with the- principal men, 
being absent, the place presented at that time a more quiet, 
or, rather, dull appearance than it does in general ; and when 
I took my first walk through the town, I was struck with the 
aspect of solitude which presented itself to the eye on all sides. 
Fortunately, there was one man in the town whose society and 
conversation were a relief to my mind. 

This was Faki Sambo, a very tall and slender Piillo, with a 
scanty beard and an expressive countenance, except that it 
lacked the most important feature which enlivens the human 
face, he being totally blind. At that time, however, I did not 
know him, although, when I heard him convey a considerable 
degree of knowledge in a lively and impressive manner, I al- 
most suspected he might be the man of whom I had heard so 
much. I was puzzled, however, at the first question, which 
was whether the Christians did not belong to the Beni I'srayil 
— that is to say, to the Jews. 

This was the first conversation I had with this man, who 
alone contributed to make my stay in the place endurable. I 
could scarcely have expected to find in this out-of-the-way place 
a man not only versed in all the branches of Arabic literature, 
but who had even read (nay, possessed a manuscript of) those 
portions of Aristotle and Plato which had been translated into, 
or rather Mohammedanized in Arabic, and who possessed the 
most intimate knowledge of the countries which he had visited. 
His forefathers, belonging to that tribe of the Fiilbe which is 



MOHAMMEDAN LEARNING. 293 

called Fittobe, had emigrated into the southern parts of 
Waday, where they settled in the village of Barekalla. When 
he was a young man, his father, who himself possessed a good 
deal of learning, and who had written a work on Hausa, had 
sent him to Egypt, where he had studied many years in the 
mosque of El A'zhar. It had been his intention to go to the 
town of Zebid, in Yemen, which is famous among the Arabs 
on account of the science of logarithms, or el hesab ; but when 
he had reached Gunfiida, the war which was raging between 
the Turks and the Wahabiye had thwarted his projects, and 
he had returned to Dar-Fiir, where he had settled down some 
time, and had accompanied a memorable expedition to the 
southwest as far as the borders of a large river, of which I 
shall have another occasion to speak. Having then returned 
to Waday, he had played a considerable part as courtier in 
that country, especially during the reign of 'Abd el 'Aziz, till 
the present king, Mohammed e' Sherif, on account of his in- 
timate relation with the prince just mentioned, had driven him 
from his court and banished him from the country. 

After having once made the acquaintance of this man, I used 
to visit him daily, and he was always delighted to see, or rather 
to hear me, for he had nobody with whom he could talk about 
the splendor and achievements of the Khalifat, from Baghdad 
to A'ndalos (Spain) — particularly of the latter country, with 
the history of whose towns, kings, and literary men he was in- 
timately acquainted. He listened with delight when I once 
mentioned the astrolabe or sextant, and he informed me with 
pride that his father had been in possession of such an instru- 
ment, but that for the last twenty years he had not met a single 
person who knew what sort of thing an astrolabe was. 

He was a very enlightened man, and in his inmost soul a 
Wahabi ; and he gave me the same name, on account of my 
principles. I shall never forget the hours I passed in cheeiv 
ful and instructive conversation with this man ; for the more 
unexpected the gratification was, the greater, naturally, was 
the impression which it made upon me. Unluckily, he died 
about a year after I left the country. 
25* 



294 SUSPECTED TO BE A RAIN-MAKER. 

Having but little exercise, I became very ill toward the end 
of this month, so that I thought it prudent to abstain entirely 
from food for five days, living exclusively upon an infusion of 
the fruit of the tamarind-tree and onions, seasoned with some 
honey and a strong dose of black pepper — a sort of drink 
which must appear abominable to the European,- but which is 
a delightful treat to the feverish traveller in these hot regions. 
Convinced that my stay in this place, if I were not allowed to 
travel about, would be too trying for my constitution, I re- 
quested the lieutenant-governor to allow me to retrace my steps 
westward ; but he would not consent, upon any condition what- 
ever, that I should stir from the place. 

This unfavorable disposition toward me assumed by degrees 
a more serious character, as, being unable to understand my 
pursuits, he could not but become suspicious of what I was 
doing. On the 21st of June, when I was quietly sitting in my 
house, one of his servants, Agid Miisa, who was well disposed 
toward me, and who used to call occasionally, suddenly made 
his appearance with a very serious countenance, and, after some 
hesitation and a few introductory remarks, delivered a message 
from the governor to the following effect. He wanted to know 
from me whether it was true (as was rumored in the town, and 
as the people had told him) that, as soon as a thunder-storm 
was gathering, and when the clouds appeared in the sky, I 
went out of my house and made the clouds withdraw ; for they 
had assured him that they had repeatedly noticed that, as soon 
as I looked at the clouds with a certain air of command, they 
passed by without bringing a single drop of rain. 

However serious the countenance of the messenger was, the 
purport of his message was so absurdly ridiculous that I could 
not help breaking out into a loud laugh, highly amused at the 
really pagan character of these soi-disant Mohammedans ; but 
my friend begged me to regard the matter in a more serious 
light, and to take care what sort of answer I sent to his master. 
I then begged him to tell the governor that no man, either by 
charm or by prayer, was able to prevent or to cause rain, but 
that God sent rain wherever and whenever it pleased him. 1 



ULTIMATUM OF THE GOVERNOR. 295 

added, however, that if he believed my presence in the coun- 
try was causing mischief, he might allow me to go ; that I did 
not desire anything better than that, and should then pray 
night and day for rain ; but that at present I myself could not 
wish for much rain, as I was afraid lest it should cut off my 
retreat by swelling the river to too great a height. 

The messenger departed with my answer, and returned after 
a while with the ultimatum of the governor, to the effect that 
it was his own opinion that no human being was able to pre- 
vent rain, but that all of us were servants of the Almighty, and 
that, as they were praying for rain, I myself should add my 
prayer to theirs ; I should then be allowed, at the proper time, 
to depart from them in safety, but that, if I was ill-disposed 
toward them, he likewise would do me evil, informing me at 
the same time that, for a similar reason, they had once killed 
two great religious chiefs from Bidderi. 

Such was the character of the people with whom I had to 
deal, although they regarded themselves as enlightened Mo- 
hammedans. In order to show his good disposition, or most 
probably rather in order to see whether his good treatment of 
me would have any effect upon the amount of rain (as he 
seemed to take me for a "king of the high regions"), he sent 
me in the evening a dish of an excellent pudding, with 
plenty of butter, and a small pot of medide, or gruel seasoned 
with the fruit of the diim-palm, and even promised me corn for 
my horse ; but, as I did not send him rain in return, as he 
seemed to have expected, his hospitality did not extend further. 

It had been my custom, when a thunder-storm was gather- 
ing, to look out, in order to see from what quarter it was pro- 
ceeding, which is a question of great interest in these regions ; 
but the absurd superstition of these people so alarmed me that 
I scarcely dared to do so again. 

Besides studying, roving about, and paying an occasional offi- 
cial visit to the lieutenant-governor, much of my time was also oc- 
cupied with giving medicine to the people, especially during the 
early period of my stay ; for the small stock of medicines which I 
brought with me was soon exhausted. But even if I had pos- 



296 PATIENTS. — THE OTHER SEX. 

sessed a much larger supply, I might perhaps have been tempted 
to withhold occasionally the little aid I could afford, on account 
of the inhospitable treatment which I received ; and in the 
beginning I was greatly pestered by the lieutenant, who sent 
me to some decrepit old women, who had broken their limbs, 
and in every respect were quite fit for t N ne grave. I then pro- 
tested officially against being sent in future to patients, at least 
of the other sex, beyond a certain age. 

But sometimes the patients proved rather interesting, par- 
ticularly the females ; and I was greatly amused one morning 
when a handsome and well-grown young person arrived with a 
servant of the lieutenant-governor, and entreated me to call 
and see her mother, who was suffering from a sore in her right 
ear. Thinking that her house was not far off, I followed her 
on foot, but had to traverse the whole town, as she was living 
near the gate leading to A'bii-Gher ; and it caused some merri- 
ment to my friends to see me strutting along with this young 
lady. But afterward, when I visited my patient, I used to 
mount my horse ; and the daughter was always greatly delighted 
when I came, and frequently put some very pertinent questions 
to me, as to how I was going on with my household, as I was 
staying quite alone. She was a very handsome person, and 
would even have been regarded so in Europe, with the excep- 
tion of her skin, the glossy black of which I thought very be- 
coming at the time, and almost essential to female beauty. 

The princesses also, or the daughters of the absent king, 
who in this country too bear the title of "mairam" or "rneram," 
called upon me occasionally, under the pretext of wanting some 
medicines. Among others, there came one day a buxom young 
maiden, of very graceful but rather coquettish demeanor, ac- 
companied by an elder sister, of graver manners and fuller 
proportions, and complained to me that she was suffering from 
a sore in her eyes, begging me to see what it was ; but when, 
upon approaching her very gravely, and inspecting her eyes 
rather attentively without being able to discover the least defect, 
I told her that all was right, and that her eyes were sound and 
beautiful, she burst out into a roar of laughter, and repeated, 



BEAUTY OF THE WOMEN. 297 

in a coquettish and flippant manner, "beautiful eyes, beautiful 
eyes." 

There is a great difference between the Kanuri and Bagirmi 
females, the advantage being entirely with the latter, who cer- 
tainly rank among the finest women in Negroland, and may 
well compete with the Fulbe or Fellata ; for if they are excelled 
by them in slenderness of form and lightness of color, they far 
surpass them in their majestic growth and their symmetrical 
and finely-shaped limbs, while the lustre and blackness of their 
eyes are celebrated all over Negroland. Of their domestic 
virtues, however, I cannot speak, as I had not sufficient op- 
portunity to enable me to give an opiuion upon so difficult a 
question. I will only say that on this subject I have heard 
much to their disadvantage, and I must own that I think it 
was not all slander. Divorce is very frequent among them as 
inclination changes. Indeed, I think that the Bagirmi people 
are more given to intrigues than their neighbors ; and among 
the young men sanguinary encounters in love-affairs are of 
frequent occurrence. The son of the lieutenant-governor him- 
self was at that time in prison on account of a severe wound 
which he had inflicted upon one of his rivals. In this respect 
the Bagrimma very nearly approach the character of the people 
of Waday, who are famous on account of the furious quarrels 
in which they often become involved in matters of love. 



298 RETURN OF THE SULTAN. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Return of the Sultan of Bornu to Mas-ena, the capital — Triumphal entry — 
Dr. Barth receives letters from the British government, and an appoint- 
ment to carry out the objects of the expedition, with supplies — His new 
position — He is directed to go to Timbtiktu — Visit of courtiers — Memo- 
randum book — Audience of the Sultan — Offer of a female slave to the 
Doctor, respectfully declined — Present from the Sultan — Detention in 
Mas-ena — Preparations for departure — Home journey to Kukawa — 
Death of Mr. Overweg. 

July 3d. After false reports of the sultan's approach had 
been spread repeatedly, he at length really arrived. Of course, 
the excitement of the whole population was very great, almost 
all the fighting men having been absent from home for more 
than six months. 

This day, however, the sultan did not enter the capital, but, 
in conformity with the sacred custom of the kings of this coun- 
try on their return from an expedition, was obliged to encamp 
among the ruins of the oldest quarter on the west side of the 
town, and it was not till Sunday, the 4th day of July, about 
noon, that he made his solemn entry. 

On this occasion the banga led in his triumphant procession 
seven pagan chiefs, among whom that of Gdgomi was the most 
conspicuous person, and the greatest ornament of the triumph, 
being not less remarkable for his tall, stately figure, than on 
account of his having been the ruler of a considerable pagan 
state, with a capital in an almost inaccessible position. He 
excited the interest of the savage and witty Bagirmi people by 
submitting with a great deal of good humor to his fate, which 
was certainly not very enviable, as it is the custom in this 
country either to kill or to emasculate these princely prisoners 
after having conducted them for some time through all the 



THE BOOTY. 299 

court -yards of the palace, while allowing the wives and female 
slaves of the sultan to indulge their capricious and wanton dis- 
positions in all sorts of fun with them. The horrible custom 
of castration is, perhaps, in no country of Central Negroland 
practised to such an extent as in Bagirmi. 

The booty in slaves did not seem to have been very consid- 
erable, although the prince had been absent from home for six 
months ; and tne whole share of the sultan himself seemed to 
consist of about four hundred individuals. The sultan passed 
slowly through the town, along the principal road from the 
western gate, and, proceeding along the " dendal" or "boko," 
entered his palace amid the acclamations of the people and the 
clapping of hands (the "kabello" or "tofaji," as it is here 
called) of the women. 

Although I had not yet paid my compliments to the banga, 
he sent two messengers in the afternoon to bid me welcome. 
These messengers were the brother and son of one of the 
chief men of the country. However, he had returned in a bad 
state of health, and, unfortunately for me, succumbed in a few 
days. 

I informed the messengers of the prince how badly I had 
been treated, when they assured me that the sultan did not 
know anything about it, and that, as soon as he had received 
the news of my arrival, he had forwarded orders to the lieu- 
tenant-governor to provide me with a milch-cow. The mes- 
sengers then went away, and soon returned with a sheep, some 
butter, and a large supply of kreb, the seed of a sort of grass 
of which I have spoken on former occasions. 

The same evening I was informed that an express messenger 
had come from Kiikawa with dispatches for me, the caravan 
from Fezzan having at length arrived. But, having been re- 
peatedly disappointed by similar reports, I did not give myself 
up to vain expectation, and passed a very tranquil nio-ht. 

Thus arrived the 6th of July, one of the most lucky days of 
my life ; for, having been more than a year without any means 
whatever, and struggling with my fate in the endeavor to do 
as much as possible before I returned home, I suddenly found 



300 ARRIVAL OF A MESSENGER. 

myself authorized to carry out the objects of this expedition on 
a more extensive scale, and found sufficient means placed at 
my disposal for attaining that object. The messenger, how- 
ever, managed his business very cleverly ; for, having two large 
parcels of letters for me, one only containing dispatches from 
the Foreign Office, and the other containing a large amount 
of private correspondence, he brought me first the former, 
which had been very carefully packed up in Kiikawa, in a long 
strip of fine cotton (gabaga),and then sewn in red and yellow 
leather, without saying a word about the other parcel ; but 
when I had read at my leisure the dispatches which honored 
me with the confidence of her Britannic majesty's government, 
and had rewarded his zeal with a new shirt, he went away, and 
soon returned with the second parcel, and a packet containing 
ten tiirkedi, native cotton cloth, from Kano, which at Mr. 
Overweg's request, theYizier of Bdrnu had sent me, and three 
of which I immediately presented to the messenger and his two 
companions. 

The number of private letters from England, as well as Ger- 
many, was very considerable, and all of them contained the 
acknowledgment of what I had done, the greatest recompense 
which a traveller in those regions can ever aspire to. No doubt 
the responsibility also thus thrown upon me was very great, 
and the conclusion at which I had arrived from former experi- 
ence, that I should not be able to fulfil the many exaggerated 
expectations which were entertained for my future proceedings, 
was oppressive ; for, in almost all the letters from private indi- 
viduals, there was expressed the persuasion that I and my com- 
panion should be able, without any great exertion, and in a 
short space of time, to cross the whole of the unknown region 
of equatorial Africa, and reach the southeastern coast — an un- 
dertaking the idea of which certainly I myself had originated, 
but which, I had become convinced in the course of my travels, 
was utterly impossible, except at the sacrifice of a great num- 
ber of years, for which I found the state of my health entirely 
insufficient, besides a body of trustworthy and sincerely at- 
tached men, and a considerable supply of means. Moreover, 



A SERIOUS VISIT. 301 

T found, to my surprise and regret, that the sum of £800 placed 
at my disposal by Lord Palmerston remained a dead letter, 
none of the money having been forwarded from Tripoli — a sum 
of about fifteen hundred dollars, which had been previously 
sent, being regarded as sufficient. 

In this perplexity, produced by nothing but good-will and a 
superabundance of friendly feeling, I was delighted to find that 
her majesty's government, and Lord Palmerston in particular, 
held out a more practicable project by inviting me to endeavor 
to reach Timbuktu. To this plan, therefore, I turned my full 
attention, and in my imagination dwelt with delight upon the 
thought of succeeding in the field of the glorious career of 
Mungo Park. 

For the present, however, I was still in Bagirmi, that is to 
say, in a country where, under the veil of Islam, a greater 
amount of superstitious ideas prevail than in many of the 
pagan countries ; and I was revelling in the midst of my literary 
treasures, which had just carried me back to the political and 
scientific domains of Europe, and all the letters from those dis- 
tant regions were lying scattered on my simple couch, w r hen all 
of a sudden one of my servants came running into my room, 
and hastily informed me that a numerous cortege of messengers 
had just arrived from court. 

I had scarcely time to conceal my treasure under my mat 
when the courtiers arrived, and in a few moments my room was 
filled with black people and black tobes. The messengers who 
had brought me the letters had likewise been the bearers of a 
letter addressed by the ruler of Bornu to the banga of Bagirmi, 
who in a certain respect was tributary to him, requesting him 
to allow me to return without delay to his country in the com- 
pany of the messengers. There were some twenty persons be- 
sides the lieutenant-governor or kadamange, and the two rela- 
tions of Maina ; and the manner in which they behaved was so 
remarkable that I was almost afraid lest I should be made 
prisoner a second time. There could be no doubt that they 
had heard of the large correspondence which I had received. 
But there had been, moreover, a great deal of suspicion, from 
26 



302 CONSULTATION OVER THE JOURNAL. 

my first arrival, that I was a Turkish spy. There was even a 
pilgrim who, from his scanty stock of geographical and ethno- 
logical knowledge, endeavored to persuade the people that I 
was an "Arnaut," who, he said, were the only people in the 
world that wore stockings. Be this as it may, the courtiers 
were afraid of coming forward abruptly with the real object of 
their visit, and at first pretended they wished to see the pre- 
sents that I had brought for the sultan. These consisted of a 
caftan of red cloth, of good quality, which I had bought in 
Tripoli for nine dollars ; a repeater watch, from Nuremberg, 
bought for ten dollars, with a twisted silk guard of Tripolitan 
workmanship ; a shawl, with silk border; an English knife and 
a pair of scissors ; cloves, and a few other things. The watch, 
of course, created the greatest astonishment, as it was in good 
repair at the time, although it was a pity that we had not been 
provided with good English manufactures, but had been left 
to pick up what articles we might think suitable to our pur- 
pose. 

Having also asked to see my telescope, which, of course, 
could only increase their surprise and astonishment, they then, 
after a great deal of beckoning and whispering with each other, 
which made me feel rather uneasy, requested to see the book 
in which I wrote down everything I saw and heard. Without 
hesitation, I took out my memorandum-book and showed it to 
them ; but I had first to assert its identity. In order to allay 
their suspicions, I spontaneously read to them several passages 
from it which referred to the geography and ethnography of the 
country ; and I succeeded in making them laugh and become 
merry, so that they even added some names where my lists 
were deficient. They then begged me to allow them to take 
the book to the sultan, and I granted their request without 
hesitation. 

This frankness of mine completely baffled the intrigues of 
my enemies, and allayed the suspicions of the natives ; for they 
felt sure that, if I had any evil intention in writing down an 
account of the country, I should endeavor to do all in my 
power to conceal what I had written. 



AUDIENCE WITH THE SULTAN. 303 

• 

Thus they departed, carrying with them my journal ; and I 
was informed afterward that the sultan had sent for all the 
learned men in the town, in order to hear their opinion upon 
my book. And it was perhaps fortunate for me that the prin- 
cipal among them was my friend Sambo, who, being well ac- 
quainted with my scientific pursuits, represented my notes as a 
very innocent and merely scientific matter. My journal, which 
no one was able to read, was consequently returned to me un- 
injured. In the afternoon my friend Sambo called upon me, 
and related to me the whole story ; he also informed me that 
the only reason why I had not obtained an audience with the 
sultan this day was the above-mentioned letter of the Sheikh 
of Bornu, which had in a certain degree offended their feelings 
of independence ; and, in fact, I did not obtain an audience 
until the 8th. 

July 8th. I had just sent word to Sambo, begging him to 
hasten my departure, and had received a visit from some friends 
of mine, when Grema 'Abdiicame, with a servant of the sultan, 
in order to conduct me into his presence, whereupon I sent to 
Sambo, as well as to my host Bii-Bakr of Bakada, who was 
just then present in town, inviting them to accompany me to 
the prince. On arriving at the palace, I was led into an inner 
court-yard, where the courtiers were sitting on either side of a 
door which led into an inner apartment, the opening or door- 
way of which was covered by a "kasar, " or, as it is called 
here, "parpara," made of a fine species of reed, as I have 
mentioned in my description of the capital of Logon. In front 
of the door, between the two lines of the courtiers, I was desired 
to sit down, together with my companions. 

Being rather puzzled to whom to address myself, as no one 
was to be seen who was in any way distinguished from the rest 
of the people, all the courtiers being simply dressed in the most 
uniform style, in black, or rather blue tobes, and all being 
bareheaded, I asked aloud, before beginning my address, whe- 
ther the Sultan 'Abd el Kader was present, and an audible 
voice answered from behind the screen that he was present. 
Being then sure that it was the sultan whom I addressed, 



804 AUDIENCE WITH THE SULTAN. 

although I should have liked better to have seen him face to 
face, I paid him my respects and presented the compliments 
of her Brittanic majesty's government, which, being one of 
the chief European powers, was very desirous of making ac- 
quaintance with all the princes of the earth, and of Negroland 
also, in order that their subjects, being the first traders in the 
world, might extend their commerce in every direction. I 
told him that we had friendships and treaties with almost all 
the nations of the earth, and that I myself was come in order 
to make friendship with them ; for, although they did not pos- 
sess many articles of trade to offer, especially as we abhorred 
the slave-trade, yet we were able to appreciate their ivory, and 
even if they had nothing to trade with, we wanted to be on 
good terms with all princes. I told him, moreover, that we 
were the best of friends with the Sultan of Stambiil, and that 
all who were acquainted with us knew very well that we were 
excellent people, trustworthy, and full of religious feelings, who 
had no other aim but the welfare of mankind, universal inter- 
course, and peaceable interchange of goods. I protested that 
we did not take notes of the countries which we visited with 
any bad purpose, but merely in order to be well acquainted 
with their government, manners, and customs, and to be fully 
aware what articles we might buy from, and what articles we 
might sell to them. Thus already " Rais Khalil " (Major 
Denham) had formed, I said, the design of paying his compli- 
ments to his (the sultan's) father, but that the hostile relations 
which prevailed at that time between Bagirmi and Bdrnu had 
prevented him from executing his plan when he had reached 
Logon, and that, from the same motives, I had now come for 
no other purpose than the benefit of his country ; but that, 
nevertheless, notwithstanding my best intentions, I had been 
ill-treated by his own people, as they had not been acquainted 
with my real character. I stated that it had been my ardent 
desire to join him in the expedition, in order to see him in the 
full exercise of his power, but that his people had not allowed 
me to carry out my design. 

The whole of my speech, which I made in Arabic, was trans- 



PRESENTS TO THE SULTAN. 305 

lated, phrase for phrase, by my blind friend Sambo, who occa- 
sionally gave me a hint when he thought I spoke in too strong 
terms. The parcel containing my presents was then brought 
forward and placed before me, in order that I might open it 
myself and explain the use of each article. 

While exhibiting the various articles, I did not neglect to 
make the watch strike repeatedly, which created the greatest 
astonishment and surprise among the spectators, who had 
never seen or heard anything like it. I then added, in conclu- 
sion, that it was my sincere wish, after having remained in this 
country nearly four months, confined and watched like a 
prisoner, to return to Kiikawa without any further delay, as I 
had a great deal of business there, and at the present moment 
was entirely destitute of means ; but that if he would guarantee 
me full security, and if circumstances should permit, I myself, 
or my companion, would return at a later period. Such a 
security having been promised to me, and the whole of my 
speech having been approved of, I went away. 

I had scarcely returned to my quarters when the two rela- 
tions of Maina Belademi, Maina Kanadi and Sabiin, called 
upon me, with a very mysterious countenance, and, after some 
circumlocution, made known the grave errand upon which they 
had been sent, which was to ask whether I had not a cannon 
with me ; and when I expressed my astonishment at their 
thinking I was supplied with such an article, while my whole 
luggage was carried on the back of one weak she-camel, they 
stated that the sultan was at least anxious to know whether I 
was not able to manufacture one myself. Having professed 
my inability to do so, they went away, but returned the next 
day, with many compliments from their master, who, they 
said, was anxious that I should accept from his hands a hand- 
some female slave, of whose charms they gave a very eloquent 
description, and that it was his intention to furnish me with a 
camel, and provide me with two horsemen who should escort 
me back to Bornu. I told him that, although sensible of my 
solitary situation, I could not accept such a thing as a slave 
from the sultan, and that I did not care about anything else 
26* u 



806 SECOND AUDIENCE WITH THE SULTAN. 

but permission to depart, except that I should feel obliged to 
him if he would give me a few specimens of their manufactures. 
They then promised that the next day I should have another 
audience with the sultan, and they kept their word. 

This time, also, I w r as only able to address the sultan with- 
out seeing him, when I repeated my request that he would 
allow me to depart without any further delay, as I had most 
urgent business in Kiikawa ; but I received the answer that 
although the road was open to me, the sultan, as the power- 
ful ruler of a mighty kingdom, could not allow me to depart 
empty-handed. I then, in order to further my request, pre- 
sented him with a small telescope, in the use of which I in- 
structed his people. Having returned to my quarters, I 
assured my friends, who came to inform me that it was the 
sultan's intention to make me a splendid present in return for 
those I had given him, that I did not care for anything except 
a speedy return to Bornu, as there was no prospect that I 
should be allowed to penetrate farther eastward. But all my 
protests proved useless, as these people were too little ac- 
quainted with the European character, and there were too 
many individuals, who, if I did not care about getting any- 
thing, were anxious to obtain something for themselves ; I 
was therefore obliged to abandon myself to patience and 
resignation. 

August 6th. At length, in the afternoon, there came a long 
cortege from the sultan, conducted by Zerma or Kadamange, 
Sabiin, and Kanadi, with a present of fifty shirts of every 
kind, and which altogether might be valued at about thirty 
dollars. Among the shirts were seven of a better sort, all of 
which I sent to England, with the exception of one, which 
was very light, consisting of silk and cotton, and which I kept 
for my own wear ; there were, besides, twenty-three white ones 
of a better kind, and twenty common market tobes. 

While presenting me with this royal gift, and explaining 
that the sultan was sorry that I would not accept front his 
hands anything more valuable, either slaves or ivory, Zerma 
announced to me officially that I might now start when I 



PRESENTS FROM THE SULTAN. 307 

thought proper; that hitherto neither the people of Bagirmi 
had known me nor I them, bat that if I were to return I might 
regard Bagirmi as my own country. While expressing my 
thanks to the sultan for his present, as well as for the permis- 
sion to depart, I told the messenger that if they wished that 
either I or my brother (companion) should ever visit their 
country again, the sultan ought to give me a paper, testifying 
his permission by a special writ, sealed with his own royal seal. 
This they promised, and, moreover, told me that a man from 
the sultan should accompany me to the river, in order to pro- 
tect me against any further intrigues of the ferrymen, my great 
enemies. 

The sultan's munificence, although not great, enabled me to 
reward my friends and attendants. 

But, although on my first arrival in this country I had enter- 
tained the hope that it might be possible to accomplish such 
an undertaking, I had convinced myself that, not taking into 
account my entire want of proper means,, it would be impru- 
dent, under the present circumstances, to attempt such a thing ; 
for the state of affairs in the country of Waday was exceed- 
ingly unfavorable at the time, a destructive civil war having 
just raged, and matters not being yet settled. My own situa- 
tion in this country, moreover, was too uncertain to allow me 
to have sufficient supplies sent after me to embark in such a 
grand enterprise ; and besides, although I had become fully 
aware of the great interest which attaches to the empire of 
Waday, as well owing to the considerable extent of its politi- 
cal power as on account of the great variety of elements of 
which it is composed, and also on account of its lying on the 
water-parting between the basin of the Tsad and that of the 
Kile, I felt quite sure that the western part of Negroland, 
along the middle course of the so-called Niger, was a far nobler 
and more fruitful field for my exertions. 

August 8th. After all the delay was overcome, I at length 
became aware what had been the cause of it ; for in the after- 
noon of that day my noble companion Grema 'Abdu, who had 
left me so unceremoniously before I reached the capital, and 



308 CAUSE OF MY DETENTION EXPLAINED. 

who altogether had been of so little use to me, came to inform 
me that all was now ready for our departure, he having re- 
ceived the five slaves whom he was to take to Kiikawa, partly 
for his own benefit, and partly for the benefit of his master 
Mestrema, who held a situation something like a consul of Ba- 
girrai in the capital of Bornu. Indeed, there were now un- 
mistakable signs that I was at length to leave this place, for 
the following day I was treated with a large dish of rice and 
meat, swimming in a rich abundance of butter, from the sultan, 
and another dish from my niggardly host the zerma or kada- 
raange ; and on the 10th of August I really left the capital of 
Bagirmi, where I had certainly staid much longer than I had 
desired, as I was not allowed to move freely about in the coun- 
try, but where, nevertheless, I was enabled to collect a great 
deal of valuable information. 

August 10th. Although I had once cherished the idea of 
penetrating toward the upper course of the Nile, I was glad 
when I turned my face westward, as I had since convinced my- 
self that such an enterprise was not possible under the present 
circumstances. I had been so many times deceived by the 
promise of my final departure, that when in the morning of 
that day a messenger from the zerma arrived with the news 
that I might get ready my luggage, I did not believe him, and 
would not stir till Zerma himself made his appearance and con- 
firmed the news, assuring me that I should find the letter of 
the sultan, with regard to my security on a future visit, with 
Maina Sabun. 

In consequence, I ordered my servants to get my luggage 
ready ; but before I started I received a visit from a large 
number of courtiers, with an agid at their head, in order to 
bid me farewell, and also to entreat me for the last time to sell 
to the sultan my fine " keri-sassarandi " (horse). But this I 
was obliged to refuse, stating that I wanted the horse for my- 
self, and that I had not come to their country as a merchant, 
but as a messenger. It had always been a subject of great 
annoyance to them that I refused to sell my horse, as all the 
people who visit this country from the other side of Bornu are 



HOME JOURNEY TO KU'KAWA. 309 

in the habit of bringing horses with them expressly for sale. 
They revenged themselves, therefore, by giving me another 
nickname, as an ambitious and overbearing man — " derbaki 
ngolo." But I would not have parted with the companion of 
my toils and dangers for all the treasures in the world, although 
it had its faults, and was certainly not then in the best con- 
dition. I had some foreboding that it might still be a useful 
companion on many an excursion ; and it was, in reality, still 
to carry me for two years, and was to excite the envy both of 
my friends and enemies in Timbuktu as it had done here. 

Having received the letter of the sultan, with the contents 
of which I could not but express myself highly satisfied, I set 
fairly out on my journey ; and my heart bounded with delight 
when, gaining the western gate, I entered the open country, 
and once more found myself at liberty. 

[The journey back to Kiikawa occupied ten days, but was 
not attended by any remarkable incidents.] 

Friday, August 20th. We had now only one long day's 
march to Kiikawa ; and, reaching the town of Ngornu after six 
hours' ride, I had great trouble in dragging on my horsemen, 
who, being quite exhausted, wanted to make themselves com- 
fortable with their friends, for the Bornu men of the present 
day are not accustomed to much fatigue. Indeed, both my 
companions were so utterly prostrated in mind and body that, 
strange to say, they lost their road close to the capital, al- 
though certainly the high corn-fields gave the country a totally 
different appearance. The great pond of Kaine was now 
larger than I had ever seen it, and flooded the path to a great 
extent. 

Having sent on a man in advance in order to announce my 
arrival to the vizier and Mr. Overweg, I made a short halt 
near one of the many pools of stagnant water, and we were 
just about to remount when my friend came galloping up. 
We were both extremely glad to see each other again, having 
been separated from one another longer than on any former 
occasion ; and they had received in Kiikawa very alarming 
news about my reception in Bagirmi. Mr. Overweg had made, 



310 BAD HEALTH OF MR. OVERWEG. 

meanwhile, a very interpresting trip into the southwestern 
mountainous districts of Bdrnu ; he had returned from thence 
about two months previously, and I was surprised to find that, 
notwithstanding the long repose which he had enjoyed, he 
looked more weak and exhausted than I had ever seen him. 
But he informed me that since his return he had been very 
ailing, and that even at present he did not feel quite recovered. 
He gave me a very lively and encouraging description of the 
means which had been placed at my disposal, and with the 
most spirited projects for the future we entered the town. 
Here I once more found myself in my old quarters, with luxu- 
ries at my command which, during the last six months, had 
become almost strange to me, such as coffee with sugar, and 
tea with milk and sugar. 

Monday, August 23<2. We had a very important private 
audience with the sheikh, when, after the usual compliments 
were passed, I endeavored to give him a clear description of 
the present relations of the expedition ; for, when he expressed 
his wish that I might be appointed by her majesty as a consul, 
I declared to him that that could not be, but that it was my 
business to explore unknown countries, to open intercourse 
with them, and afterward to return to my native country ; that 
it was the most ardent desire of her majesty's government to 
enter into the most friendly relations with Bornu, but that our 
scientific mission extended far beyond that country. And I 
further explained to him that government, in their last 
dispatches, had expressed their wish that if we should ascer- 
tain the impossibility of penetrating in a southerly or easterly 
direction, we might turn westward and endeavor to reach 
Timbuktu. 

This statement seemed to gratify, him extremely, as he was 
afraid of nothing more than that we might go to Waday, and 
enter into friendly relations with the sultan of that country. 
It is from this point of view that I am quite sure that the 
vizier, at least, had done nothing to insure me a good reception 
in Bagirmi, if not the contrary. However, the sultan declared 
that, as he was greatly pleased at our desire to try our fortune 



TREATY SIGNED. MONEY MATTERS. 311 

in a westerly direction, he should not prevent us, even if we 
wanted to go to Waday, as it was stipulated expressly in the 
treaty that her Britannic majesty's subjects might go wherever 
they pleased, although it was not until a few days later that he 
actually signed the treaty, after numerous delays and evasions. 
I, however, expressed my wish that, before we left the country, 
circumstances might allow us to complete the survey and ex- 
ploration of the Tsad, which was both our own wish and that 
of the British government. Our addresses and our presents 
having been received with equal affability, we took a hearty 
leave and returned home. On the last day of August the sultan 
signed the treaty, expressing moreover the hope that, if mer- 
chants should actually visit the country in quest of other 
merchandise than slaves, the slave-trade might be gradually 
abolished. 

I was now enabled to arrange all our money-matters, which 
were in a very confused and desperate state ; for, besides the 
large debt due to the merchant Mohammed e' Sfaksi, we were 
indebted to the vizier alone for 500 Spanish dollars. Not 
being able to satisfy all our creditors with ready money, there 
having been sent only 1050 dollars in cash, I arranged with a 
merchant, giving him 200 dollars in cash and a bill for 1500 
dollars on Fezzan, while I paid all the smaller debts, as well 
as that of the vizier. Indeed, we might now have been able 
to achieve a great deal if it had been our destiny to remain 
together ; for in the beginning almost all our efforts were 
paralyzed by the smallness of our means, which did not allow 
us to undertake anything on a large scale ; but it was our 
destiny that, when sufficient supplies had arrived, one of us 
should succumb. 

I have already observed that, when on my return I met my 
companion before the gates of the capital, I was surprised at 
his exhausted appearance, and I was sorry to find that my first 
impression was confirmed by what I saw afterward. As he 
himself was anxious for a little change of air, and as it was 
entirely in accordance with our object of exploring the lake, to 
observe the state of the komadugu at this season, while it was 
not possible at present to enter upon any great undertaking, 



312 MR. overweg's last excursion. 

we agreed that he should make a small trip to the lower part 
of the river ; and he left, accordingly, for A'jiri on the 29th 
of August, in company with a small grandee or kokana, to 
whom the place belonged, a short distance westward from the 
district of Diichi. I accompanied him about as far as the 
village of Dawerghii, and we separated with a firm hope that 
the excursion would do him a great deal of good — and he 
really enjoyed extremely the rich vegetation of the komadugu, 
which at this time of the year, during the rising of the river, 
was in its full vigor. He learned, by inquiry from the natives, 
the very interesting fact that the water in the komadugu, which 
during the dry season is limited to detached pools of stagnant 
water, begins to form a continuous stream of water eastward 
toward the Tsad on the 21st or 22d of July, and continues 
running for about seven months ; that is to say, till about the 
middle of February. It begins to overflow its banks in the 
month of November. But, although my companion took great 
interest in the objects around him, he could not have felt very 
strong, as the notes which he wrote during this excursion are 
extremely short and unsatisfactory, while it would have been 
of importance if he had been able to lay down the course of 
the river with tolerable exactitude. Moreover, in his feeble 
condition, he committed the mistake of forcing his last day's 
march in returning to Kukawa on the 13th of September, and 
I was sorry to observe, when we supped together that evening, 
that his appetite greatly failed him. 

Being fully aware of the unhealthiness of the climate during 
the month of September, we agreed by common consent to keep 
moving about as much as possible, and to take a ride every 
day to some distance. It was on this account that we arranged 
a visit to Dawerghii on Sunday, the 20th ; but, unfortunately, 
some business which we had to transact prevented our setting 
out at an early hour in the morning, and, my friend's head 
being that day rather affected, I proposed to him putting off 
our excursion till another day ; but he thought that the fresh 
air might do him good. We therefore started in the heat of 
the day, although the sun was not very bright, while my com- 



HIS SICKNESS. 313 

panion did not neglect to protect his head as well as possible 
from the rays of the sun. 

Having refreshed ourselves in the cool shade of a fine hajilij, 
Mr. Overweg thought himself strong enough to go about shoot- 
ing, and was so imprudent as to enter deep water in pursuit 
of some water-fowl, and to remain in his wet clothes all the 
day without saying a word ; and I only became aware of this 
fact late in the evening, after we had returned to the town, 
when he dried his wet clothes at the fire. 

Although he had been moving about the whole day, he was 
not able to enjoy our simple supper ; but he did not complain. 
However, the next morning he felt so weak that he was unable 
to rise from his couch ; and instead of taking a sudorific, which 
I most earnestly advised him to do, he was so obstinate as not 
to take any medicine at all, so that his illness increased with 
an alarming rapidity, and rather an alarming symptom ap- 
peared on the following day, when his speech became quite 
inarticulate and almost unintelligible. He then became aware 
himself of the dangerous state he was in. He informed me 
that in the town he should never recover, that it was absolutely 
necessary for him to get a change of air, and that he entertained 
the hope that, if I could take him to Maduwari, he might 
speedily regain his health in the house of our friend, the 
kashella Fiigo 'Ali. 

It was a difficult task to take my sick companion to the de- 
sired place, which is distant from Kukawa more than eight 
miles ; and though he began his journey on Thursday morning, 
he coulct not reach the desired place until the morning of Fri- 
day. Having made a present to our friend Fiigo 'All, that 
he might be induced to take sufficient care of him, and having 
left the necessary orders, I returned to the town in order to 
finish my dispatches ; but the same evening one of the servants 
whom I had left with Mr. Overweg came and informed me that 
he was much worse, and that they were unable to understand a 
single word he said. I mounted immediately, and found my 
friend in a most distressing condition, lying outside in the 
court-yard, as he had obstinately refused to sleep in the hut. 
27 



314 DEATH OF MR. OVERWEG. 

He was bedewed with a cold perspiration, and had thrown off 
all his coverings. He did not recognise me, and would not 
allow me or any one else to cover him. Being seized with a 
terrible fit of delirium, and muttering unintelligible words, in 
which all the events of his life seemed to be confused, he jumped 
up repeatedly in a raging fit of madness, and rushed against 
the trees and into the fire, while four men were scarcely able to 
hold him. 

At length, toward morning, he became more quiet, and re- 
mained tranquilly on his couch ; and, not becoming aware that 
his strength was broken, and hoping that he might have passed 
the crisis, I thought I might return to the town. After asking 
him if he had any particular desire, he said that he had some- 
thing to tell me ; but it was impossible for me to understand 
him, and I can only fancy, from what happened, that, being 
aware that death was at hand, he wanted to recommend his 
family to me. 

At an early hour, on Sunday morning Mr. Overweg's chief 
servant came to me with the sad news that the state of my 
friend was very alarming, and that since I had left him he had 
not spoken a word, but was lying motionless. I mounted im- 
mediately on horseback ; but, before I reached the place, I was 
met by a brother of Fugo 'All, who, with tears in his eyes, 
told me that our friend was gone. With the dawn of day, 
while a few drops of rain were falling, after a short struggle, 
his soul had departed. 

In the afternoon I laid him in his grave, which was dug in 
the shade of a fine hajilij, and well protected from the beasts 
of prey. Thus died my sole friend and companion, in the 
thirtieth year of his age, and in the prime of his youth. It was 
not reserved for him to finish his travels, and to return home in 
safety ; but he met a most honorable death as a martyr to 
science ; and it is a remarkable fact that he found himself a 
grave on the very borders of that lake by the navigation of 
which he has rendered his name celebrated forever. It was 
certainly a presentiment of his approaching death which actu- 
ated him in his ardent desire to be removed to this place, where 



DEPARTURE FOR TIMBUKTU. 315 

he died hard by the boat in which he had made his voyage. 
Many of the inhabitants of the place, who had known him well 
during his repeated visits to the village, bitterly lamented his 
death, and no doubt the "tabib," as he was called, will long 
be remembered by them. 

Dejected, and full of sad reflections on my lonely situation, 
I returned into the town in the evening ; but our dwelling, 
which during my stay in Bagirmi my companion had greatly 
improved, and embellished by whitewashing it with a kind of 
gypsum, of which he found a layer in our court-yard, now 
appeared to me desolate and melancholy in the extreme. While, 
therefore, originally it had been my plan to make another trial 
along the eastern shores of the Tsad, any longer stay in this 
place had now become so intolerable to me that I determined 
to set out as soon as possible on my journey toward the Niger 
— to new countries and new people. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



Dr. Barth takes leave of the Sheikh of Bornu and starts for TimMktu. — 
His servants. — Passes the Komadugu of Bornu. — The Natron Lake. — 
Mtiniyo. — Visit of Y / usuf Mukni. — Wealth and power of Muniyoma. — 
Visit to him. — Arrival at Zinder. 

The death of Mr. Overweg, happening at a period when the 
prospects of the mission just began to brighten, induced me to 
relinquish my original plan of once more trying my fortune in 
Kanem and on the N.E. shores of Tsad, as an undertaking too 
dangerous for me in my isolated position, and the results of 
which could not reasonably be expected to be great, even with 
the protection of a small force, in a disturbed country, in com- 
parison with the dangers that accompanied it. Besides, such 
was the character of the horde of the Welad Sliman and their 
mode of warfare, that, after having received the sanction of 
the British government for my proceedings, and being autho- 



316 TREATY SIGNED BY THE SHEIKH. 

rized by them to carry out the objects of the mission as at first 
projected, I could scarcely venture to associate myself again 
with such a lawless set of people. I therefore determined to 
direct my whole attention toward the west, in order to explore 
the countries situated on the middle course of the great western 
river, the I'sa, or the so-called Niger, and at the same time to 
establish friendly relations with the powerful ruler of the empire 
of Sokoto, and to obtain full permission for myself or other 
Europeans to visit the southeastern provinces of his empire, 
especially A'damawa, which I had been prevented from fully 
exploring by the real or pretended fear of the governor of 
that province to grant such a permission without the sanction 
of his liege lord. 

The treaty which I had at length succeeded in getting signed 
by the Sheikh of Bornu and his vizier on the last of August, 
together with a map of all the parts of Central Africa which I 
had as yet visited, and containing at the same time all the infor- 
mation which I had been able to collect concerning the neigh- 
boring provinces, I had forwarded home in the middle of Octo- 
ber, addressing at the same time the request of H. M.'s consul 
at Tripoli to send me, by a special courier to Zincler, a certain 
sum of money. The road which I had before me was long, 
leading through the territories of a great many different chiefs, 
and partly even of powerful princes ; and as soon as I should 
have left Zinder behind me, I could not expect to find fresh 
supplies, the sum of money which I had received on my return 
from Bagirmi being almost all spent in paying the debts which 
we had incurred when left without means. A sum of 400 dol- 
lars, besides a box containing choice English ironware, had 
been some time before consigned to a Tebu of the name of 
A'hmed II ;j 'Ali Billama ; but instead of proceeding at once 
with the caravan with which he had left Fezzan, as he ought 
to have done, he staid behind in his native town Bilma to cele- 
brate a marriage. The caravan, with about twenty horses and 
a hundred camels, arrived, on the 10th of November, without 
bringing me anything except the proof of such reckless con- 
duct ; and as I could not afford to loose any more time in wait- 



MU r NIYO\ 317 

ing for this parcel, I left orders that it should be forwarded to 
Zinder as soon as it should arrive, but never received it. 

Nearly three-fourths of the money in cash which we had re- 
ceived being required to pay off our debts, we had been obliged 
to give away a great portion even of the articles of merchan- 
dise, or presents, in order to reward friends who for so long a 
period had displayed their hospitality toward us, and rendered 
us services almost without the slightest recompense ; so that, 
on the whole, it was only under the most pressing circumstances 
I could think of undertaking a journey to the west with the 
means then at my disposal. But, very luckily, a handsome 
sum of money was on the road to Zinder; I also expected to 
receive at that place a few new instruments, as the greater part 
of my thermometers were broken, and I had no instrument left 
for making hypsometrical observations. 

An inroad on a large scale of a tribe of the Tawarek, or 
Kindin, as they are called in Bornu, under their chief, Miisa, 
into the province of Muniyd, through which lay my road to 
Zinder, delayed my departure for a considerable time. This 
inroad of the hordes of the desert claimed a greater interest 
than usual, especially when considered in connection with the 
facts which I have set forth on a former occasion, the Tawarek 
or Berbers having originally formed an integral part of the 
settled population of Bdrnu. These Diggera of Musa, who 
appear to have occupied these tracts at a former period, had 
evidently formed the firm intention of settling again in the fine 
valleys of the province of Muniyd, which are so favorable to 
the breeding of camels that even when the country was in the 
hands of the Bdrnu people they used to send their herds there. 

At length, after a long series of delays, the road to the west 
became open, and I took leave of the sheikh on the 19th of 
November, in a private audience, none but the vizier being 
present. I then found reason to flatter myself that, from the 
manner in which I had explained to them the motives which 
had induced me to undertake a journey to the chiefs of the 
Piilbe or FellaUi, there were no grounds of suspicion remain- 
ing Letween us, although they made it a point that I should 
27* 



318 TAKE LEAVE OP THE SHEIKH. 

avoid going by Kand ; and even when I rejected their entreaty 
to remain with them after my successful return from Timbuktu, 
they found nothing to object, as I assured them that I might 
be more useful to them as a faithful friend in my own country 
than by remaining with them in Bdrnu. At that time I thought 
that her majesty's government would be induced to send a 
consul to Bdrnu, and, in consequence, I raised their expecta- 
tions on that point. But matters in Bdrnu greatly changed 
during my absence in the west, and, in consequence of the 
temporary interregnum of the usurper 'Abd e' Rahman, and 
the overthrow and murder of the vizier, the state of affairs 
there assumed a less settled aspect. I concluded my leave- 
taking by requesting my kind hosts, once more, to send a copy 
of the history of Edris Alawdma, the most celebrated Bdrnu 
king, to the British government, as I was sure that, in their 
desire to elucidate the history and geography of these regions, 
this would be an acceptable present. 

The vizier, in particular, took great interest in my enter- 
prise, admiring the confidence which I expressed, that the 
Sheikh el Bakay in Timbuktu, of whom I had formed an 
opinion merely from hearsay, would receive me kindly and give 
me his full protection ; and I did not fail to represent to them 
that, if the English should succeed in opening these great high 
roads of the interior for peaceful intercourse, it would be 
highly advantageous even for themselves, as they would thus 
be enabled to obtain those articles which they were in want of 
from the regions of Western Africa, such as kola nuts and gold, 
with much less expense and greater security ; and they were thus 
induced to endeavor to derive a profit even from this my enter- 
prise. The sheikh, who had formed the intention of under- 
taking a journey to Mekka, wanted me to procure for him some 
gold in Timbuktu ; but, uncertain as were my prospects, and 
difficult as would be my situation, I could not guarantee such 
a result, which my character as a messenger of the British go- 
vernment would scarcely allow. The sheikh sent me two very 
fine camels as a present, which stood the fatigue of the jour- 
ney marvellously, one of them only succumbing on my return 



DEPARTURE FROM KU'KAWA. 319 

journey, three days from Kiikawa, when, seeing that it was 
unable to proceed, I gave it as a present to a native m'allem. 
Having finished ray letters, I fixed my departure for the 25th 
of November, without waiting any longer for the caravan of 
the Arabs, which was soon to leave for Zinder, and which, 
though it held out the prospect of a little more security, would 
have exposed me to a great deal of inconvenience and delay. 

Thursday, November 25th, 1852. It was half past ten in 
the morning when I left the town of Kiikawa, which for upward 
of twenty months I had regarded as my head-quarters, and as 
a place which, in any emergency, I might safely fall back upon ; 
for although I even then expected that I should be obliged to 
return to this place once more, and even of my own free will 
made my plans accordingly, yet I was convinced that, in the 
course of my proceedings, I should not be able to derive any 
farther aid from the friendship and protection of the Sheikh 
of Bornu, and I likewise fully understood that circumstances 
might oblige me to make my return by the western coast. For 
I never formed such a scheme voluntarily, as I regarded it of 
much greater importance for the government, in whose service 
I had the honor to be employed, to survey the coast of the 
great river from Timbuktu downward, than to attempt, if I 
should have succeeded in reaching that place, to come out on 
the other side of the continent, while I was fully aware that, 
even under the most favorable circumstances, in going, I should 
be unable to keep along the river, on account of its being 
entirely in the hands of the lawless tribes of Tawarek, whom 
I should not be able to pass before I had obtained the protec- 
tion of a powerful chief in those quarters. Meanwhile, well 
aware from my own experience how far man generally remains 
in arrear of his projects, in my letter to government I repre- 
sented my principal object as only to reach the Niger at the 
town of Say, while all beyond that was extremely uncertain. 

My little troop consisted of the following individuals. First, 
Mohammed el Gatroni, the same faithful young lad who had 
accompanied me as a servant all the way from Fezzan to Kii- 
kawa, and whom, on my starting for A'damawa, I had sent 



320 MY SERVANTS. 

home, very reluctantly, with my dispatches and with the late 
Mr. Richardson's effects, on condition that, after having staid 
some time with his wife and children, he should return. He 
had lately come back with the same caravan which had brought 
me the fresh supplies. Faithful to my promise, I had mounted 
him on horseback, and made him my chief servant, with a 
salary of four Spanish dollars per month, and a present of 
fifty dollars besides in the event of my enterprise being suc- 
cessfully terminated. My second servant, and the one upon 
whom, next to Mohammed, I relied most, was 'Abd-Allahi, or, 
rather, as the name is pronounced in this country, 'Abd-Allehi, 
a young Shiiwa from Kotoko, whom I had taken into my ser- 
vice on my journey to Bagirmi, and who, never having been 
in a similar situation, and not having dealt before with Eu- 
ropeans, at first had caused me a great deal of trouble, espe- 
cially as he was laid up with the small-pox for forty days during 
my stay in that country. He was a young man of very pleas- 
ing manners and straightforward character, and, as a good and 
pious Moslim, formed a useful link between myself and the 
Mohammedans ; but he was sometimes extremely whimsical, 
and, after having written out his contract for my whole journey 
to the west and back, I had the greatest trouble in making 
him adhere to his own stipulations. I had unbounded control 
over my'men, because I agreed with them that they should not 
receive any part of their salary on the road, but the whole on 
my successful return to Hausa. 'Abd-Allahi was likewise 
mounted on horseback, but had only a salary of two dollars, 
and a present of twenty dollars. Then came Mohammed ben 
A'hmed, who, though a person of very indifferent abilities, and 
at the same time very self-conceited on account of his Islam, 
was yet valued by me for his honesty, while he, on his part, 
having been left by his countrymen and co-religionists in a very 
destitute situation, became attached to myself. 

I had two more freemen in my service, one a brother of Mo- 
hammed el Gatrdni, who was only to accompany me as far as 
Zinder ; the other an Arab from the borders of Egypt, and 
called Sliman el Ferjdni, a fine, strong man, who had once 



a'bbega and dy'rregu. 



321 



formed part of the band of the Welad Sliman in Kanem, and 
who might have been of great service to me from his know- 
ledge of the use of fire-arms and his bodily strength ; but he 
was not to be trusted, and deserted me in a rather shameful 
manner a little beyond Katsena. 

Besides these freemen, I had in my service two liberated 
slaves, Dy'rregu, a Hausa boy, and A'bbega, a Marghi lad, 




A'bbega. 



Dy'rregu. 



who had been set free by the late Mr. Overweg ; the same 
young lads whom, on my return to Europe, I brought to this 
country, where they promised to lay in a store of knowledge, 



322 'ali ; el a'geren. 

and who, on the whole, have been extremely useful to me, al- 
though A'bbega not unfrequently found some other object 
more interesting than my camels, which were intrusted to his 
care, and which, in consequence, he lost repeatedly. 

In addition to these servants, I had attached to my person 
another man as a sort of broker, and who was to serve as a 
mediator between me and the natives ; this was the Mejebri 
'Ali el A'geren, a native of Jalo, the small commercial place 
near Aiijila, which has recently been visited and described by 
the Abbe Hamilton. He had travelled for many years in 
Negroland, and had traversed in various directions the region 
inclosed between Sdkoto, Kano, Bauchi, Zariya, and Gonja. 
But for the present, on my outset from Bdrnu, I had not made 
any fixed arrangements with this man ; but in the event of his 
accompanying me beyond Sdkoto, he was to have two horses 
and a monthly salary of nine dollars, besides being permitted 
to trade on his own account. Such an arrangement, although 
rather expensive to me, considering the means at my disposal, 
was of very great importance if the man did his duty, he being 
able, in his almost independent situation, to render me extra- 
ordinary assistance in overcoming many difficulties ; but, as 
an Arab, I only put full confidence in him as long as circum- 
stances were propitious, while his wavering character as soon 
as dangers began to surround me did not put me in any way 
out of countenance. 

These people, besides an Arab, a so-called sherif, from Fas, 
who was going as far as Zinder, and who had likewise attached 
himself to my small party, composed the band with which I 
cheerfully set out on my journey toward the west on the 25th 
of November, being accompanied out of the town by the Haj 
Edris, whom I have had frequent occasion to mention. In 
order to get everything in readiness, and to be sure of having 
neglected no precaution to secure full success to my enterprise, 
I followed my old principle, and pitched my tent for the first 
day only a couple of miles distant from the gate, near the 
second hamlet of Kaliluwa, in the scanty shade of a baure, 
when I felt unbounded delight in finding myself once more in 



A COLD NIGHT. 323 

the open country, after a residence of a couple of months in 
the town, where I had but little bodily exercise. Indulging in 
the most pleasing anticipations as to the success of the enter- 
prise upon which I was then embarking, I stretched myself out 
at full length on my noble lion-skin, which formed my general 
couch during the day, and which was delightfully cool. 

Friday, November 2Qth. This was one of the coldest, or 
perhaps the very coldest night which I experienced in the 
whole of my journeys since entering the fertile plains of Negro- 
land, the thermometer in the morning, a little before sunrise, 
showing only 9° Fahr. above the freezing point. The interior 
of Africa, so far removed from the influence of the sea (which 
is warmer in winter than the terra firma), forms, with regard 
to the cold season, an insulated cool space in the tropical re- 
gions in opposition to the warm climate of the West Indies, 
and the coasts and islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. 
We were all greatly affected by the cold ; but it did us a great 
deal of good, invigorating our frames after the enervating in- 
fluence of the climate of Kiikawa. We did not set out, how- 
ever, before the sun had begun to impart to the atmosphere a 
more genial character, when we proceeded on our journey 
westward. 

We encamped near the well Siiwa-biiwa, or, as it was called 
by others, Kabubiya, on the gentle slope of the rising ground 
toward the north, from whence the busy scene round the well, 
of cattle, asses, goats and sheep being watered in regular suc- 
cession, presented an interesting and animated spectacle, more 
especially coming after and contrasted with the dull life of the 
capital. The well measured fifteen fathoms in depth, and the 
inhabitants were so on the alert for gain that they thought it 
right to sell us the precious element for watering our camels. 
My whole party were in the best spirits, cheerful and full of 
expectation of the novelties, both in human life and nature, 
that were to be disclosed in the unknown regions in the far 
west. In order to protect ourselves from the cold, which had 
so much affected us the preceding night, we set fire to the 
whole of a large decayed tree, which, with great exertion, we 



324 A LESSON. — gara'nda. 

dragged from some distance close to our tent, and thus enjoyed 
a very moderate degree of temperature in our open encamp- 
ment. 

Saturday, November ^th. I now entered Koyam, with its 
straggling villages, its well-cultivated fields, and its extensive 
forests of middle-sized mimosas, which afford food to the nu- 
merous herds of camels constituting the wealth of this African 
tribe, who in former times, before the Bdrnu dynasty was driven 
away from its ancient capital Njimiye by the rival family of 
the Bulala, led a nomadic life on the pasture-grounds of 
Kanem. Having thus traversed the district called Wodoma, 
we encamped about noon, at a short distance from a well in 
the midst of the forest, belonging to a district called Gagada. 
The well was twenty-five fathoms deep, and was frequented 
during the night by numerous herds of cattle from different 
parts of the neighborhood. 

While making the round in the night in order to see whe- 
ther my people were on the look-out, as a great part of the 
security of a traveller in these regions depends on the vigilance 
exercised by night, I succeeded in carrying away secretly the 
arms from all my people, even from the warlike Ferjani Arab, 
which caused great amusement and hubbub when they awoke 
in the morning, and enabled me to teach them a useful lesson 
of being more careful for the future. 

November 28th. Having taken an early breakfast — an 
arrangement which, in this cold weather, when the appetite 
even of the European traveller in these regions is greatly sharp- 
ened, we found very acceptable — we pursued our journey, 
passing through the district of Garanda, with deep sandy soil, 
and rich in corn, cattle, and camels. A great proportion of 
the population consisted of Shuwa, or native Arabs, who had 
immigrated from the east. 

We encamped after a march of about thirteen miles, having 
by mistake exchanged our westerly direction for a south- 
westerly one, near the well called Kagza, and were very hos- 
pitably and kindly treated by a patriotic old man, a citizen of 
the old capital or birni of Ghasr-eggomo. 



ABUNDANCE OP GAME. 325 

Monday, November 29^. Pnrsuing still a southwesterly 
direction, our march led us through a district called Redani. 
The district of Redani was followed by another called Kan- 
galla, and, after a short tract of forest, a third one, of the 
*name of Meggi. We encamped at length near a group of 
three wells, where, once a week, a small market is held. In 
the adjacent hollow a pond is formed in the rainy season. The 
wells were twenty fathoms in depth. 

Tuesday, November 30th. The district through which we 
passed to-day, in a northwesterly direction seemed to be rich 
in pasture-grounds and cattle. Having been warned that 
along the road no water was to be had, we encamped a little 
outside the track, near the farming village of Gogoro, where 
the women were busy threshing or pounding their corn, which 
was lying in large heaps, while the men were idling about. 
They were cheerful Kanuri people, who reside here only 
during the time of the harvest, and when that is over return 
to their village, Dimmarruwa. The ground hereabout was 
full of ants, and we had to take all possible care in order 
to protect our luggage against the attacks of this voracious 
insect. 

Wednesday, December 1st. We now approached the koma- 
dugu of Bornu, presenting, with its network of channels and 
thick forests, a difficult passage after the rainy season. 

I took a long walk in the afternoon along the sheet of 
water, which was indented in the most picturesque manner, 
and was bordered all around with the richest vegetation, the 
trees belonging principally to the species called karage and 
baggaruwa. Farther on dum palms became numerous ; and 
it was the more interesting to me, as I had visited this dis- 
trict, only a few miles farther north, during the dry season. 
Guinea-fowls were so numerous that one could hardly move a 
step without disturbing a group of these lazy birds, which con- 
stitute one of the greatest delicacies of the traveller in these 
regions. A sportsman would find in these swampy forests not 
less interesting objects for his pursuits than the botanist ; for 
elephants, several species of antelopes, even including the oryx 



326 SITE of ghasr-e'ggomo. 

or tetel, nay, as it would seem, even the large addax, the wild 
hog, besides an unlimited supply of water-fowl, Guinea-fowl, 
and partridges, would prove worthy of his attention, while 
occasional encounters with monkeys would cause him some 
diversion and amusement. 

Thursday, December 2d. Winding round the swamp (for 
the nature of a swamp, or kulugu was more apparent at pre- 
sent than that of a branch of the river), we reached, after a 
march of about three miles, the site of the ancient capital of 
the Bornu empire, Ghasr-eggomo, which was built by the King 
'Ali Ghajideni, toward the end of the fifteenth century, after 
the dynasty had been driven from its ancient seats in Kanem, 
and, after a desperate struggle between unsettled elements, 
began to concentrate itself under the powerful rule of this 
mighty king. The site was visited by the members of the 
former expedition, and it has been called by them by the half- 
Arabic name of Birni-Kadim, the "old capital," even the 
Bornu people in general designating the place only by the 
name birni or burni. The town had nearly a regular oval 
shape, but, notwithstanding the great exaggerations of former 
Arab informants, who have asserted that this town surpassed 
Cairo (or Masr el Kahira) in size, and was a day's march 
across, was little more than six English miles in circumference, 
being encompassed by a strong wall with six or seven gates, 
which, in its present dilapidated state, forms a small ridge, 
and seems clearly to indicate that, when the town was con- 
quered by the Fiilbe or Fellata, the attack was made from two 
different sides, viz., the south-west and north-west, where the 
lower part of the wall had been dug away. The interior of 
the town exhibits very little that is remarkable. The principal 
buildings consist of baked bricks ; and in the present capital 
not the smallest approach is made to this more solid mode of 
architecture. The dimensions of the palace appear to have 
been very large, although nothing but the ground-plan of large 
empty areas can be made out at present, while the very small 
dimensions of the mosque, which had five aisles, seem to afford 
sufficient proof that none but the people intimately connected 



ZARAIMA. 327 

with the court used to attend the service, just as is the case at 
the present time ; and it serves, moreover, clearly to establish 
the fact that even in former times, when the empire was most 
flourishing, there was no such thing as a medrese, or college, 
attached to the mosque. The fact is, that although Bornu at 
all times has had some learned men, study has always been a 
private affair among a few individuals, encouraged by some 
distinguished men who had visited Europe and Arabia. Taking 
into consideration the great extent of the empire during the 
period of its grandeur, and the fertility and wealth of some of 
its provinces, which caused gold-dust at that time to be brought 
to market here in considerable quantity, it cannot be doubted 
that this capital contained a great deal of barbaric magnifi- 
cence, and even a certain degree of civilization, much more so 
than is at present found in this country; and it is certainly a 
speculation not devoid of interest to imagine, in this town of 
Negroland, a splendid court, with a considerable number of 
learned and intelligent men gathering round their sovereign, 
and a priest writing down the glorious achievements of his 
master, and thus securing them from oblivion. Pity that he 
was not aware that his work might fall into the hands of people 
from quite another part of the world, and of so different a stage 
of civilization, language, and learning ! else he would cer- 
tainly not have failed to have given to posterity a more dis- 
tinct clew to the chronology of the history of his native country. 
The way in which the komadugu, assisted probably by arti- 
ficial means, spreads over this whole region, is very remarkable. 
The passage of the country at the present season of the year, 
covered as it is with the thickest forest, was extremely difficult, 
and we had to make a very large circuit in order to reach the 
village of Zengiri, where the river could be most easily crossed. 
I myself went, on this occasion, as far south-west as Zaraima, 
a village lying on a steep bank near a very strong bend or 
elbow of the river, which, a little above, seems to be formed 
by the two principal branches, the one coming from the country 
of Bedde, and the other more from the south ; but, notwith- 
standing the great circuit we made, we had to ford several 



328 THE VALLEY. 

very extensive backwaters, stretching out, in the deeper parts 
of the valley, amid a thick belt of the rankest vegetation, 
before we reached the real channel, which wound along in a 
meandering course inclosed between sandy banks of about 
twenty-five feet in elevation, and, with its rich vegetation, pre- 
senting a very interesting spectacle. The forest in this part is 
full of tetel, or Antelope oryx, and of the large antelope 
called "kargum." The few inhabitants of the district, al- 
though they do not cultivate a great deal of corn, cannot suffer 
much from famine, so rich is the supply of the forest as well as 
of the water. Our evening's repast, after we had encamped 
near Zengiri, was seasoned by some excellent fish from the 
river. However, I must observe here that the Kandri in gene- 
ral are not such good hunters as the Hausa people, of whom 
a considerable proportion live by hunting, forming numerous 
parties or hunting-clubs, who on certain days go out into the 
forest. 

Friday, December 3d. Having made a good march the pre- 
vious day, we were obliged, before attempting the passage of 
the river with our numerous beasts and heavy luggage, to allow 
them a day's repose ; and I spent it most agreeably on the 
banks of the river, which was only a few yards from our en- 
campment. Having seen this valley in the dry season, and 
read so many theories with regard to its connection with the 
Niger on one side and the Tsad on the other, it was of the 
highest interest to me to 'see it at the present time of the year, 
when it was full of water, and at its very highest point ; and I 
could only wish that Captain William Allen had been able to 
survey this noble stream in its present state, in order to con- 
vince himself of the erroneous nature of his theory of this river 
running from the Tsad into the so-called Chadda, or rather 
Benuwe. Though the current was not very strong, and pro- 
bably did not exceed three miles an hour, it swept along as a 
considerable river of about one hundred and twenty yards' 
breadth toward the Tsad, changing its course from a direction 
E. 12° S. to N. 35° E. 

The following day we crossed the river ourselves. I had 



CROSSING A RIVER. — MANGA. 329 

some difficulty in concluding the bargain, the inhabitants, who 
belong to the Tebii-Zenghi, making at first rather exorbitant 
demands, till I satisfied them with a dollar ; and we ourselves, 
camels, horses, and luggage, crossed without an accident, each 
camel being drawn by a man mounted on a pair of calabashes, 
while another man mounted the animal close to its tail. The 
river proved to be fifteen feet deep in the channel, and about 
1 20 yards broad ; but there was a still smaller creek behind, 
about five feet deep. 

At length we were again in motion ; but our difficulties now 
commenced, the path being extremely winding, deeply hollowed 
out, and full of water, and leading through the thickest part 
of the forest ; and I had to lament the loss of several bottles 
of the most valuable medicine, a couple of boxes being thrown 
from the back of the camel. A forest which we passed through 
extended only to the border which is reached by the highest 
state of the inundation, when we emerged upon open country, 
and, leaving the town of Nghuriituwa (where Mr. Richardson 
died) at a short distance on our right, we encamped a few 
hundred yards to the south of the town of Alaune, which I 
had also passed on my former journey. 

Here we entered that part of the province of Manga which 
is governed by Kashella Belal. 

Having passed the important place of Kadagarruwa and 
some other villages, we encamped on the 5th near the exten- 
sive village Mammari, where the governor of the province at 
that time resided. 

Monday, December Qth. A small water-course joining the 
kornadugu Waiibe from the north, separates the province of 
Kashella Belal from another part of Manga, placed under a 
special officer, who has his residence in Borzari. 

On reaching the town of Borzari, I preferred encamping 
outside, although there was not the least shade ; my heavy 
luggage and my numerous party rendering quarters inside the 
town rather inconvenient. The governor, to whom I sent a 
small present, treated me very hospitably, sending me a heifer, 
a large provision of rice, several dishes of prepared food, and 
28* 



330 BEDDE. — MONKEY-BREAD-TREES. 

two large bowls of milk. This excellent man, whose name is 
Kashella Manzo, besides the government of his province, had 
to regulate the whole intercourse along this road, being in- 
structed at the time especially to prevent the exportation of 
horses from the Bdrnu territory into the Hausa states. 

Tuesday, December 1th. The first part of our march led 
through a more dreary tract of country, which was neither 
very picturesque, nor exhibited any great signs of industry 
among the natives ; but after a stretch of a little more than 
eleven miles, large, wide-spreading tamarind-trees announced a 
more fertile district, and a few hundred yards farther on we 
reached the border of one of the great swampy creeks con- 
nected with the southwestern branch of the komadugu, and in- 
tersecting the territory of Bedde, which we had now entered. 
We kept close along its border, which was adorned by fine, 
luxuriant trees, till we encamped at a short distance from Dad- 
deger, a place inhabited by Bedde, and at that time forming 
part of the estate of Mala Ibram. 

Wednesday, December 8th. The district which we traversed 
in the morning was distinguished by a great number of kiika 
or monkey-bread-trees, the first one we saw being destitute of 
leaves, though full of fruit. 

We had just crossed a swamp, at present dry, surrounded 
on one side by fine fig-trees and gerredh of such luxuriant 
growth that I was scarcely able to recognise the tree, and on 
the other by talha-trees, when, about noon, we emerged into 
open cultivated ground, and were here greeted with the sight 
of a pretty sheet of open water, breaking forth from the forest 
on our left, and dividing into two branches, which receded in 
the distance. The Bedde call it Thaba-kenama. The water 
is full of fish, which is dried by the inhabitants, and either in 
its natural form, or pounded and formed into balls, constitutes 
an important article of export. We met a good many people 
laden with it. 

Three miles farther on, turning a little more southward from 
our westerly direction, we reached the town of Geshiya, once a 
strong place and surrounded by a clay wall, but at present in 



GESMA. 331 

a state of great decay, although it is still tolerably peopled, 
the groups of conical huts being separated by fences of mat- 
ting into several quarters. Here we encamped on the north 
side, near a fine tamarind-tree, where millet was grown to a 
great extent. The inhabitants of Geshiya, indeed, have very 
thievish propensities ; and as we had neglected to fire a few 
shots in the evening, a couple of daring men, succeeded, during 
the night, in carrying away the woollen blanket in which my com- 
panion the Mejebri merchant 'Ali el A'geren was sleeping at the 
side of his horse. Although he was a man of hardihood and ex- 
perience, he was dragged or carried along to a considerable dis- 
tance, until he was forced to let go his blanket ; and, threaten- 
ing him with their spear in case he should cry out, they managed 
this affair so cleverly and with such dispatch, that they were 
off in the dark before we were up to pursue them. It was a 
pity that these daring rascals escaped with their spoil ; but, in 
order to prevent any farther depredations of this kind, we fired 
several shots, and with a large accordeon, upon which I played 
the rest of the night, I frightened the people to such a degree 
that they thought every moment we were about to ransack the 
town. 

Thursday, December 9th. Keeping along the northeastern 
border of the swamp, through a fine country, where the tama- 
rind and monkey-bread-tree were often interlaced, as I have 
repeatedly observed to be the case with these species of trees, 
we reached, after a march of about three miles, the town of 
Gesma, which is girt and defended by the swamp on the south 
and east sides. 

December 10th. We exchanged the domain of the monkey- 
bread-tree for that of the dum-palm, by giving to our course a 
northwesterly direction toward Zurrikulo, the queen of the 
region of dum palms and the residence of the hospitable Ka- 
shella S'aid, passing at some distance on our way a comfort- 
able and populous little place, surrounded with a stockade, and 
bearing the attractive name of Kechiduniya, "the sweetness 
of the world," where a little market was held, to which people 



332 mu'niyo'. 

were flocking from all sides, male and female, with sour milk, 
ground-nuts, grain, earthen pots, young cattle, and sheep. 

In Zurrikulo I fell into my former route, which I had fol- 
lowed in the opposite direction in March, 1851, and, crossing 
the northern branch of the komadugu, which at present was 
two feet and a half deep, and following almost the same road, 
encamped the next day in Shecheri, the first village of the dis- 
trict of Biindi. 

December 12th. In Shecheri I left my former route, which 
would have taken me to Biindi and Mashena, and followed a 
N. N. W. direction, toward the mountainous province of 
Miiniyo, which before the time of our expedition was entirely 
unknown. Passing through the district of Chejessemo, to 
which Shecheri belongs, we entered a forest where the kiisulu 
or magaria, with its small berries, was very common, the 
ground being covered with tall jungle. We then reached the 
town of Ngarruwa, surrounded with a clay wall in decay, and 
here watered our animals. 

Tuesday, December 14th. After a march of about six miles 
through a fine couutry, occasionally diversified by a rocky emi- 
nence, and adorned here and there by fine tamarind-trees, we 
reached Sulleri, a considerable place, consisting of several 
detached hamlets, where the most important market in the ter- 
ritory of Muniy6 is held every Friday. The place contains 
about 5000 inhabitants, and was enlivened at the time by a 
considerable herd of cattle. 

Proceeding in a northwesterly direction through this hilly 
country, and leaving at a short distance on our right a higher 
eminence, at the western foot of which the village of New Biine 
is situated, we descended considerably into a hollow of clayey 
soil of a most peculiar character. For all of a sudden an iso- 
lated date palm started up on our right, while on our left the 
unwonted aspect of a tall slender gdnda, or Erica Papaya, 
attracted our attention, the intermediate ground being occupied 
by a rich plantation of cotton. Suddenly a large " sirge" or 
lake of natron of snowy whiteness, extending from the foot of 
the height which towers over Bune, approached on our right, 



333 

the rich vegetation which girded its border, along which the 
path led, forming a very remarkable contrast to the barrenness 
of the " sirge ;" for the whole surface of the basin, which did 
not at present contain a drop of water, was formed of natron, 
while people were busy digging saltpetre, from pits about six 
feet deep and one foot and a half in diameter, on its very border. 
A short distance off, fresh water is to be found close under the 
surface, giving life to the vegetation, which bears a character 
so entirely new in this district ; and I gazed with delight on 
the rich scenery around, which presented such a remarkable 
contrast to the monotonous plains of Bdrnu. 

Thursday, December l&h. With the greater eagerness we 
started early in the morning, in order to reach the capital of 
this little hilly country, which forms a very sharp wedge or 
triangle of considerable length, projecting from the heart of 
Negroland toward the border of the desert, and exhibiting 
fixed settlements and a tolerably well-arranged government, in 
contrast to the turbulent districts of nomadic encampments. 
Our direction meanwhile remained the same as on the preced- 
ing day, being mostly a northeasterly one. 

After a march of about six miles, an isolated date palm an- 
nounced a different region, and a little farther on we entered 
the valley of Tongure, running from west to east, and adorned 
with a fine plantation of cotton, besides a grove of about two 
hundred date palms. Having traversed this valley where the 
road leads to Billa M'allem Gargebe, we entered a thicket of 
mimosas, while the eminences assumed a rounder shape. The 
country then became gradually more open, scarcely a single 
tree being met with, and we obtained a distant view of Giire, 
situated at the southern foot and on the lower slope of a rocky 
eminence, when we began to descend considerably along the 
shelving ground of the expansive plain, laid out in stubble-fields, 
with here and there a few trees, and intersected by several 
large and deep ravines. 

Having first inspected the site of the town, I chose my camp- 
ing-ground in a small recess of the sandy downs which border 
the south side of a concavity or dell surrounding the town on 



33-1 WEALTH OF MU'nIYO'MA, 

this side, and laid out in small kitchen gardens and cotton 
plantations ; for, notwithstanding the entreaties of the gover- 
nor, I did not like to take up rny quarters inside the place. 

In the evening I received a visit from Yusuf Mukni, the late 
Mr. Richardson's interpreter, who at present had turned mer- 
chant, and, having sold several articles to Miiniydma, the 
governor of the country, had been waiting here three months 
for payment. He was very amiable on this occasion, and 
apparently was not indisposed to accompany me to Sdkoto, if 
I had chosen to make him an offer ; but I knew his character 
too well, and feared rather than liked him. He gave me a 
faithful account of the wealth and power of Muniydma, who, 
he said, was able to bring into the field 1500 horsemen, and 
from 8000 to 10,000 archers, while his revenues amounted to 
30,000,000 of shells, equivalent, according to the standard of 
this place, to 10,000 Spanish dollars, besides a large tribute 
in corn, equal to the tenth part, or 'ashur, which, in all the 
provinces of Bdrnu northwest of the komadugu, in consequence 
of the governors of these territories having preserved their 
independence against the Fiilbe or Fellata, belongs to them, 
aud not to the sovereign lord, who resides in Kiikawa. Each 
full-grown male inhabitant of the province has to pay annually 
1000 shells for himself, and, if he possess cattle, for every pack- 
ox 1000 shells more, and for every slave 2000. 

I had heard a great deal about the debts of this governor; 
but I learned on farther inquiry, that they only pressed heavily 
upon him this year, when the revenues of his province were 
greatly reduced by the inroad of the Tawarek. As a speci- 
men of his style of life, I may mention that he had recently 
bought a horse of Tarkiye breed for 100,000 shells, a very high 
price in this country, equal to about £50 sterling. 

Friday, December 11th. Having got ready my presents for 
the governor, I went to pay him a visit ; and, while waiting in 
the inner court-yard, I had sufficient leisure to admire the solid 
and well-ornamented style of building which his palace exhi- 
bited, and which almost cast into the shade the frail architec- 
tural monuments of the capital. I was then conducted into a 



VISIT TO THE GOVERNOR. 335 

stately but rather sombre audience-hall, where the governor 
was sitting on a divan of clay, clad in a blue bernus, and sur- 
rounded by a great number of people whom curiosity had 
brought thither. Having exchanged with him the usual com- 
pliments, I told him that, as Mr. Richardson had paid him a 
visit on his first arrival in the country, and on his way from the 
north to Kiikawa, it had also been my desire, before leaving 
Bornu for the western tribes, to pay my respects to him as the 
most noble, powerful, and intelligent governor of the country, 
it being our earnest wish to be on friendly terms with all the 
princes of the earth, more especially with those so remarkably 
distinguished as was his family. He received my address with 
great kindness, and appeared much flattered by it. 

The number of people present on this occasion was so great 
that I did not enter into closer conversation with the governor, 
the darkness of the place not allowing me to distinguish his 
features. I had, however, a better opportunity of observing 
his almost European cast of countenance when I paid him an- 
other visit in order to satisfy his curiosity by firing my six-bar- 
reled revolver before his eyes. On this occasion he did me the 
honor of putting on the white helali berniis which had consi- 
sted the chief attraction of my present, and which he esteemed 
very highly, as most noble people do in this country, while 
the common chief values more highly a dress of showy colors. 
The white half-silk bernus looked very well, especially as he 
wore underneath it a red cloth kaftan. 

The real name of the governor is Kdso, Muniydma being 
nothing but a general title, meaning the governor of Miiniyd, 
wnich, in the old division of the vast empire of Bornu, formed 
part of the Yeri. In the present reduced state of the kingdom 
of Bornu, he was the most powerful and respectable of the 
governors, and by his personal dignity had more the appear- 
ance of a prince than almost any other chief whom I saw in 
Negroland. Besides making himself respected by his intelli- 
gence and just conduct, he has succeeded in spreading a sort 
of mystery round his daily life, which enhanced his authority. 
The people assured me that nobody ever saw him eating ; but, 



336 wu'shek. 

as far as I had an opportunity of observing, even his family 
harbored that jealousy and want of confidence which under- 
mines the well-being of so many princely households based on 
polygamy. 

Kdso at that time was a man of about sixty years of 
age, and, unfortunately, died shortly afterward, in the year 
1854. 

Sunday, December l§th. I left Giire, continuing my march 
toward Zinder, not along the most direct road, but with the 
intention of visiting those localities which were likely to pre- 
sent the most interesting features. I therefore kept first in a 
westerly direction, passing through a mountainous district, and 
farther on through more open country, with the purpose of 
visiting Wushek, a place which had been mentioned to me as 
peculiarly interesting. The situation of the place has some- 
thing very peculiar about it — a mixture of fertility and aridity, 
of cultivation and desolation, of industry and neglect, being 
situated at some distance from the foot of a mountain range, 
and separated from it by a barren tract, while on the side itself 
the moisture percolates in several small dells and hollows ; and 
thus, besides a good crop of wheat, several small groves of 
date-trees are produced. 

Monday, December 20th. On leaving Wushek, we directed 
our course by the spur of the mountain chain to the south- 
southwest, crossing several hollows, one of which presented a 
very luxuriant cotton-ground carefully fenced in by the euphor- 
biacea, here called magara. The country in general consisted 
of a broken sandy level clothed with tall reeds. Only here and 
there traces of cultivation were to be seen. The sun was very 
powerful ; and as we marched during the hottest hours of the 
day, I felt very unwell, and was obliged to sit down for a 
while. 

Wednesday, December 2Zd. The night was very cold, in 
fact, one of the coldest which I experienced on my whole jour- 
ney, the thermometer being only 8° above freezing point ; but 
nevertheless, there being no wind, the cold was less sensibly 
felt, and my servants were of opinion that it had been much 



NATRON LAKE. 337 

colder the day before, when the thermometer indicated 22° 
more. 

As the natron lake did not lie in my direct route, I sent the 
greater part of my people, together with the camels, straight 
on to Badamiini, while I took only my two body-guards, the 
Gatrdni and the Shiiwa, with me. In front of us, three de- 
tached eminences stretched out into the plain from north to 
south, the natron lake being situated at the western foot of the 
central eminence, not far from a village called Magajiri. When 
we had passed this village, which was full of natron, stored up 
partly in large piles, partly sewn into "takrufa," or matting 
coverings, we obtained a view of the natron lake, lying before 
us in the hollow at the foot of the rocky eminence, with its 
snow white surface girt all round by a green border of luxu- 
riant vegetation. The sky was far from clear, as is very often 
the case at this season ; and a high wind raised clouds of dust 
upon the surface of the lake. 

The border of vegetation was formed by well-kept cotton- 
grounds, which were just in flower, and by kitchen gardens, 
where deraba or Gorchorus olitorius was grown, the cultivated 
ground being broken by diira bush and rank grass. Crossing 
this verdant and fertile strip, we reached the real natron lake, 
when we hesitated some time whether or not we should venture 
upon its surface ; for the crust of natron was scarcely an inch 
thick, the whole of the ground underneath consisting of black 
boggy soil, from which the substance separates continually 
afresh. However, I learned that, while the efflorescence at 
present consisted of only small bits or crumbled masses, during 
the time of the biggela, that is to say, at the end of the rainy 
season, larger pieces are obtained here, though not to be com- 
pared with those found in Lake Tsad — the kind of natron which 
is procured here being called " boktor," while the other quality 
is called " kilbu tsarafu." A large provision of natron, con- 
sisting of from twenty to twenty-five piles, about ten yards in 
diameter and four in height, protected by a layer of reeds, was 
stored up at the northern end of the lake. The whole circum- 
29 w 



338 CHARACTER OF Zl'NDER. 

ference of the basin, which is called " abge" by the inhabitants, 
was one mile and a half. 

We had some difficulty in joining onr camels and people, 
who had pursued the direct road from Keleno ; for, having ap- 
pointed as the spot where we were to meet the northeastern 
corner of the town of Gadabiini, or Badamiini, toward the 
lake, we found that it would be extremely difficult for them to 
get there, and we had therefore to ride backward and forward 
before we fixed upon a place for our encampment, at the western 
end of this small luxuriant oasis. 

Saturday, December 25th. This was to be the day of my 
arrival in Zinder, an important station for me, as I had here 
to wait for new supplies, without which I could scarcely hope 
to penetrate any great distance westward. 

Pursuing our northwesterly direction, we reached the town 
of Zinder, and, winding round the south side of the town, 
which is surrounded by a low rampart of earth and a small 
ditch, entered it from the west. Passing then by the house of 
the sherif el Fasi, the agent of the vizier of Bdrnu, we reached 
the quarters which had been assigned to us, and which consisted 
of two clay rooms. Here I was enabled to deposit all my pro- 
perty in security, no place in the whole of Sudan being so ill 
famed, on account of the numerous conflagrations to which it 
is subjected, as Zinder. 

The situation of Zinder is peculiar and interesting. A large 
mass of rock starts forth from the area of the town on the west 
side, while others are scattered in ridges round about the town, 
so that a rich supply of water collects at a short depth below 
the surface, fertilizing a good number of tobacco-fields, and 
giving to the vegetation around a richer character. 

Besides some indigo-dyeing, there is scarcely any industry in 
Zinder ; yet its commercial importance has of late become so 
great that it may with some propriety be called " the Gate of 
Sudan." But, of course, its importance is only based on the 
power of the kingdom of Bdrnu, which it serves to connect 
more directly with the north, along the western route by way 
of Ghat and Ghadames, which has the great advantage over 



PECUNIARY SUPPLIES. 339 

the eastern or Fezzan route that even smaller caravans can pro- 
ceed along it with some degree of security, that other route 
having become extremely unsafe. It was then the most busy 
time for the inhabitants, the salt-caravan of the Kel-owi having 
arrived some time previously, and all the hamlets situated 
around the town being full of these desert traders, who during 
their leisure hours endeavored to make themselves as merry as 
possible with music and dancing. This gave me an opportu- 
nity of seeing again my friend, the old chief of Tintellust, who 
however, in consequence of the measures adopted toward him 
by Mr. Richardson, behaved rather coolly toward me, although 
I did not fail to make him a small present. 

Being most anxious to complete my scientific labors and re- 
searches in regard to Bornu, and to send home as much of my 
journal as possible, in order not to expose it to any risk, I 
stayed most of the time in my quarters, which I had comfort- 
ably fitted up with a good supply of "siggedi" or coarse reed 
mats, taking only now and then, in the afternoon, a ride on 
horseback either round the town or into the large well-wooded 
valley which stretches along from N. W. to S. B., at some 
distance from the town, to the N. E. Once I took a longer 
ride, to a village about eight miles S. S. E., situated on an 
eminence with a vale at its foot, fringed with diim palms and 
rich in saltpetre. 

On the 20th of January, 1853, I received from the hands 
of the Arab Mohammed el 'Akenit, a valuable consignment, 
consisting of one thousand dollars in specie, which were packed 
very cleverly in two boxes of sugar, so that scarcely anybody 
became aware that I had received money, and the messenger 
seemed well deserving of a present equal to his stipulated 
salary ; but I received no letters on this occasion. I had also 
expected to be able to replace here such of my instruments as 
had been spoiled or broken by new ones ; but I was entirely 
disappointed in this respect, and hence, in my farther journey, 
my observations regarding elevation and temperature are rather 
defective. 

I then finished my purchases, amounting altogether to the 



340 DEPARTURE FROM Zl'NDER. 

value of ^5,000 kurdi, of all sorts of articles which I expected 
would be useful on my farther proceedings, such as red common 
Dermises, white turbans, looking-glasses, cloves, razors, chap- 
lets, and a number of other things, which I had at the time 
the best opportunity of purchasing, as all Arab and European 
merchandise, after the arrival of the kafifala, was rather cheap. 
Thus I prepared for my setting out for the west ; for although 
I would gladly have waited a few days longer, in order to 
receive the other parcel, consisting of a box with English iron- 
ware and four hundred dollars, which was on the road for me 
by way of Kiikawa, and which had been intrusted, in Fezz in, 
to a Tebii merchant, it was too essential for the success of my 
enterprise that I should arrive in Katsena before the Gdberawa 
set out on a warlike expedition against that province, for which 
they were then preparing on a grand scale. It was thus that 
the parcel abovementioned, which, in conformity with my 
arrangements, was sent after me to Zinder by the vizier, and 
which arrived only a few days after I had left that place, 
remained there in the hands of the sherif el Fasi, and, on his 
being assassinated in the revolution of 1854, and his house 
plundered, fell into the hands of the slaves of the usurper 
'Abd e' Rahman. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



Departure from Zinder — Arrival at Gadawa — Sadiku, the rebel — Arrival 
at Katsena — Bel Gh6t — Ants — Second residence at Katsena — Leaves 
Katsena — Passage of the wilderness of Gundumi — First meeting with 
'Aliyu — Audience — Presents — 'Aliyu sets out on an expedition — Arrival 
of Dr. Barth at Wurno. 

Sunday, January 30th, 1853. I left the capital of the 
westernmost province of the Bdrnu empire in the best spirits, 
having at length succeeded, during my prolonged stay there, 
in getting rid of the disease in my feet, which had annoyed me 



ty'rmeni'. — ika'zkezan. 341 

ever since my return from Bagirmi to Kiikawa. I had, more- 
over, strengthened my little caravan by two very excellent 
camels, which I had bought here ; and I was now provided 
with a sufficient supply of money, stores, and presents, the total 
value of which exceeded two thousand dollars, and which 
seemed to guarantee success to my undertaking, at least in a 
pecuniary point of view, and gave me confidence once more to 
try my fortune with the Fiilbe, my first dealings with whom 
had not been very promising. However, the road before me 
was anything but safe, as I had again to traverse with 'my 
valuable property that border district intermediate between the 
independent Hausawa and the Fiilbe, which is the scene of 
uninterrupted warfare and violence, and, unfortunately, there 
was no caravan at the time. 

The whole. country which we traversed on our way westward, 
besides being richly studded with fixed dwelling-places, was 
full of parties of A'sbenawa salt-traders, partly moving on, 
partly encamped, and having their merchandise carefully pro- 
tected by fences of corn-stalks. But, although these people 
greatly contributed to the animated character of the landscape, 
yet their presence by no means added to the security of the 
country, and altogether my order of march became now a very 
different one from what it had been. Throughout my march 
from Kiikawa to Zinder, with a few exceptions, it had been 
my custom to proceed far in advance of the camels, with my 
horsemen, so that I used to arrive at the camping-ground be- 
fore the greatest heat of the day had set in ; but, on account 
of the greater insecurity of the country, it now became neces- 
sary for me to pursue my march slowly, in company with my 
luggage train. 

Thus we reached the village of Ty'rmeni, lying at the bor- 
der of a shallow vale, and surrounded with a strong stockade. 
Here we fell in with a numerous body of Ikazkezan, muster- 
ing, besides a great many on foot, twelve or thirteen men well- 
mounted on horseback, and thinking themselves strong enough, 
in their independent spirit, to pursue a contraband road along 
the border district between Daura and Katsena, in order to 
29* 



342 NOVEL METHOD OF DRAWING WATER. 

avoid paying any customs to the potentates of either. But the 
restless governor of Daura keeps a sharp look-out, and some- 
times overtakes these daring smugglers. 

Near the village of Dambeda also, which we reached after a 
march of two miles from Ty'rmeni, through a more hilly coun- 
try, several divisions of the salt-caravan were encamped, and 
we chose our camping-ground near a troop of native traders, 
or fataki. While we were pitching the tent, a Tarki or Am6- 
shagh, mounted on horseback, came slowly up to us, appa- 
rently astonished at the peculiar character of the tent, which 
he seemed to recognise as an old acquaintance ; but he was 
still more surprised when he recognised myself, for he was no 
other than Agha Bature, the son of Ibrahim, from Seliifiyet, 
the chief instigator of the foray made against us at the time 
of entering A'ir or A'sben, by the border tribes of that 
country. 

Monday, January Slst. The district through which we 
passed was densely inhabited, but it was rather scantily tim- 
bered, the ground being clad only with short underwood ; de- 
tached hills were seen now and then ; but after a march of 
about seven miles, the character of the country changed, kalgo 
appearing more frequently, while the soil consisted of deep 
sand. Toward the south the vegetation was richer, several 
Tawarek hamlets appearing in the distance. Thus we reached 
a large well, about thirteen fathoms deep and richly provided 
with water, where a large number of Biizawe, or Tawarek half- 
castes, of both sexes, were assembled ; and I was agreeably 
surprised at the greater proof of ingenuity which I here ob- 
served, a young bull being employed in drawing up the water 
in a large leather bag containing a supply sufficient for two 
horses, this being the only time during my travels in Negro- 
land that I observed such a method of drawing up the water, 
which in general, even from the deepest wells, is procured by 
the labor of man alone. The young bull was led by a very 
pretty Amoshagh girl, to whom I made a present of a tin box 
with a looking-glass in it as a reward for her trouble, when she 
did not fail to thank me by a courtesy, and the expression of 



gaza'wa. 343 

an amiable "agaisheka," "my best thanks." In the whole 
of this country a custom still prevails, dating from the period 
of the strength of the Bdrnu empire, to the effect that the 
horses of the travellers must be watered at auy well in prece- 
dence to the wants of the natives themselves. 

Thursday, February 3d. The dense grove of diim palms 
through which our road led afforded a most picturesque spec- 
tacle in the clear light of the morning sky. The country then 
became more open ; and after a march of four miles, we reached 
the shallow faddama of Gazawa, and, leaving the town at a 
short distance on our right, encamped a little to the south, not 
far from a fine old tamarind-tree. 

I was enjoying the shade of this splendid tree, when my 
friend the serki-n-turawa, whom, on my first entrance into the 
Hausa country, I introduced to the reader as a specimen of an 
African dandy, came up, on a splendid horse, to pay his com- 
pliments to me. The petty chief of Gazawa and his people 
had been much afraid, after they had received the news of my 
approach, that I might take another road, in order to avoid 
making them a present, which has the same value as the toll 
in a European country. He told me that they had already 
sent off several horsemen in order to see what direction I had 
pursued, and he expressed his satisfaction that I had come to 
him of my own free will ; but, on the other hand, he did not 
fail to remind me that on my former passage through the coun- 
try I had not given them anything on account of the powerful 
protection of Elaiji, which I enjoyed at that time. This was 
very true ; and, in consequence, I had here to make presents 
to four different persons, although I only remained half a day : 
first, this little officious friend of mine; then the governor of 
the town himself, together with his liege lord, the chief of Ma- 
radi; and, finally, Sadiku, the former Piillo governor of Kat- 
sena, who at present resided in this town. 

Having satisfied the serki-n-turawa, I wrapped a berrnis and 
a shawl or zubeta in a handkerchief, and went to pay my re- 
spects to the governor, whose name is Raffa, and whom I found 
to be a pleasant old fellow. He was well satisfied with his 



344 

present, thougn he expressed his apprehension that his liege 
lord, the prince of Maradi, who would not fail to hear of my 
having passed through the country, would demand something 
for himself; and he advised me, therefore, to send to that 
chief a few medicines. 

I then rode to Sadiku, the son of the famous M'allem 
'Omaro, or Ghomaro, who had been eight years governor of 
Katsena, after the death of his father, till, having excited the 
fear or wrath of his liege lord, in consequence of calumnies 
representing him as endeavoring to make himself independent, 
he was deposed by 'Aliyu, the second successor of Bello, and 
obliged to seek safety among the enemies of his nation. Sa- 
diku was a stately person, of tall figure, a serious expression 
of countenance, and a high, powerful chest, such as I have 
rarely seen in Negroland, and still less among the tribe of the 
Fiilbe. However, he is not a pure Pullo, being the offspring 
of a Bdrnu female slave. He had something melancholy about 
him ; and this was very natural, as he could not well be sin- 
cerely beloved by those among whom he was obliged to live, 
and in whose company he carried on a relentless war against 
his kinsmen. Sadiku's house, which was in the utmost decay, 
was a convincing proof either that he was in reality miserably 
off, or that he felt obliged to pretend poverty and misery. He 
understood Arabic tolerably well, although he only spoke very 
little. He expressed much regret on hearing of the death of 
Mr. Overweg, whom he had known during his residence in 
Maradi ; but having heard how strictly Europeans adhere to 
their promise, he expressed his astonishment that he had never 
received an Arabic New Testament which Mr. Overweg had 
promised him ; but I was glad to be able to inform him that it 
was not the fault of my late lamented companion, who, I knew, 
had forwarded a copy to him, by way of Zinder, immediately 
after his arrival in Kiikawa. Fortunately, I had a copy or 
two of the New Testament with me, and therefore made him 
very happy by adding this book to the other little presents 
which I gave him. When I left the company of this man, I 
was obliged to take a drink of fura with Serki-n-turawa — how- 



bel-ghe't. 345 

ever, not as a proof of sincere hospitality, but as a means of 
begging some farther things from me ; and I was glad at 
length to get rid of this troublesome young fellow. 

Friday, February tth. We had been so fortunate as to be 
joined here at Gazawa by two small parties belonging to the 
salt-caravan of the Kel-owi, when, having taken in a sufficient 
supply of water, and reloaded all our fire-arms, we commenced 
our march, about half-past two o'clock in the morning, through 
the unsafe wilderness which intervenes between the independent 
Hausa states and that of the Fulbe. The forest was illumed 
by a bright moonlight ; and we pursued our march without in- 
terruption for nearly twelve hours, when we encamped about 
five miles beyond the melancholy site of Dankama, very nearly 
on the same spot where I had halted two years before. We 
were all greatly fatigued ; and a soi-disant sherif from Mo- 
rocco, but originally, as it seemed, belonging to the Tajakant, 
who had attached himself to my caravan in Zinder in order to 
reach Timbuktu in my company, felt very sickly. He had 
suffered already a great deal in Zinder, and ought not to have 
exposed his small store of strength to such a severe trial. Not 
being able to have regard to his state of health, as there was 
no water here, we pursued our journey soon after midnight, 
and reached the well-known walls of Katsena after a march of 
about six hours. 

It was with a peculiar feeling that I pitched my tent a few 
hundred yards from the gate (kofa-n-samri) of this town, by 
the governor of which I had been so greatly annoyed on my 
first entering this country. It was not long before several 
A'sbenawa people belonging to A'nnur, followed by the ser- 
vants of the governor, came to salute me ; and after a little 
while I was joined by my old tormentor, the Tawati merchant 
Bel-Ghet. But our meeting this time was very different from 
what it had been when I first saw him ; for as soon as he re- 
cognised me, and heard from me that I was come to fulfil my 
promise of paying a visit to the Sultan of Sdkoto, he could 
not restrain his delight and excitement, and threw himself upon 
my neck, repeating my name several times. In fact, his whole 



346 ANTS. 

behavior changed from this moment ; and although he at times 
begged a few things from me, and did not procure me very 
generous treatment from the governor, yet, on the whole, he 
behaved friendly and decently. He asked me repeatedly why 
I had not gone to Kand ; but I told him that I had nothing to 
do with Kand ; that, in conformity with my promise, I had 
come to Katsena, and that here I should make all my pur- 
chases, in order to undertake the journey to Sdkoto from this 
place under the protection of its governor, Mohammed Bello. 
Now I must confess that I had another motive for not going to 
Kand besides this ; for the Vizier of Bornu had made it a con- 
dition that I should not go to Kand, as my journey to the 
Fiilbe would else be displeasing to himself and the sheikh, by 
interfering with their policy ; and I had found it necessary to 
consent to his wishes, although I foresaw that it would cause 
me a heavy loss, as I might have bought all the articles of 
which I was in want at a far cheaper rate in the great central 
market of Negroland than I was able to do in Katsena. 

I staid outside the town until the following morning, while 
my quarters in the town were preparing. There was an ani- 
mated intercourse along my place of encampment, between 
the old capital and the new place Wagdje, which the governor 
had founded two years before ; and I received the compliments 
of several active Fiilbe, whose expressive countenances bore 
sufficient evidence of the fact that their habits were not yet 
spoiled by the influence of the softer manners of the subjected 
tribe, although such an amalgamation has already begun to 
take place in many parts of Hausa. 

The house which was assigned to me inside the town was 
spacious, but rather old, and so full of ants that I was obliged 
to take the greatest care to protect not only my luggage, but 
my person from these voracious insects. They not only de- 
stroyed everything that was suspended on pegs from the walls, 
but while sitting one day for an hour or so on a clay bank in 
my room, I found, when I got up, a large hole in my tobe, 
these clever and industrious miners having made their way 
through the clay walls to the spot where I was sitting, success- 



PRESENT TO THE GOVERNOR. 347 

fully constructed their covered walks, and voraciously attacked 
my shirt, all in an hour's time. 

My present to the governor consisted of a very fine blue 
berniis, a kaftan of fine red cloth, a small pocket pistol, two 
muslin turbans, a red cap, two loaves of sugar, and some 
smaller articles. The eccentric man received me with undis- 
guised pleasure as an old acquaintance ; but, being aware that 
I had a tolerable supply of handsome articles with me, he 
wanted to induce me to sell him all the fine things I possessed ; 
but I cut the matter short by telling him, once for all, that I 
was not a merchant, and did not engage in any commerce. On 
the whole, he was well pleased with his presents ; but he wanted 
me to give him another small pistol, and, in the course of my 
stay here, I was obliged to comply with his request. He had 
a cover made for the pair, and used to carry them constantly 
about his person, frightening everybody by firing off the caps 
into their faces. 

It was, no doubt, a very favorable circumstance for me that 
the ghaladima of Sdkoto was at this time staying here, for 
under the protection of the unscrupulous governor of Katsena 
I should scarcely have reached the residence of the emir el 
Mumenin in safety. The ghaladima, who was the inspector 
of Katsena as well as of Zanfara, had collected the tribute of 
both provinces, and was soon to start, with his treasure and 
the articles he had purchased there, on his home journey, so 
that there did not seem to be time enough for sending some of 
my people to Kano to make there the necessary purchases ; but 
circumstances delayed us so much that there would have been 
ample opportunity for doing so, and thus saving a considerable 
sum of money. The ghaladima was a simple, straightforward 
man, not very intelligent, certainly, nor generous, but good- 
natured and sociable. Born of a female slave, he had very 
little about him of the general characteristics of the Fulbe, 
being tall and broad-shouldered, with a large head, broad fea- 
tures, and tolerably dark complexion. 

I made some considerable purchases in this place, amounting 
altogether to 1,308,000 shells, employing the greatest part of 



348 PHYSICIAN IN GENERAL. 

my cash in providing myself with the cotton and silk manu- 
factures of Kano and Niipe, in order to pave my way, by means 
of these favorite articles, through the countries on the middle 
course of the Niger, where nothing is esteemed more highly 
than these native manufactures. Having likewise arranged 
with 'Ali el A'geren, the Mejebri who accompanied me from 
Kiikawa, buying from him what little merchandise he had, and 
taking him into my service for nine dollars a month, I pre- 
pared everything for my journey ; and I was extremely anxious 
to be gone, as the rainy season was fast approaching. 

The ghaladima was also very anxious to be gone ; but the 
army of the Gdberawa being ready to start on an expedition, 
on a grand scale, against the territory of the Fiilbe, we could 
not leave the place before we knew exactly what direction the 
hostile army would take. 

Besides this kind of occupation, my dealings with the go- 
vernor, and an occasional ride which I took through and out- 
side the town, I had a great deal to do in order to satisfy the 
claims of the inhabitants upon my very small stock of medi- 
cinal knowledge, especially at the commencement of my resi- 
dence, when I was severely pestered with applications, having 
generally from 100 to 200 patients in my court-yard every 
morning. The people even brought me sometimes animals to 
cure ; and I was not a little amused when they once brought 
me a horse totally blind, which they thought I was able to 
restore to its former power of vision. 

Living in Katsena is not so cheap as in most other places of 
Negroland • at least we thought so at the time, but we after- 
ward found Sokoto, and many places between that and Tim- 
buktu, much dearer ; but the character of dearth in Katsena 
is increased by the scarcity of shells in the market, which form 
the standard currency, and, especially after I had circulated a 
couple of hundred dollars, I was often obliged to change a 
dollar for 2300 shells instead of 2500. 

I had here a disagreeable business to arrange ; for suddenly, 
on the 18th of March, there arrived our old creditor Moham- 
med e' Sfuksi, whose claims upon us I thought I had settled 



UNFORESEEN DIFFICULTY. 319 

long ago by giving him a bill upon Fezzan, besides the sum 
of two hundred dollars which I had paid him on the spot ; but, 
to my great astonishment, he produced a letter in which Mr. 
Gagliuffi, her majesty's agent in Miirzuk, informed him that I 
was to pay him in Sudan. 

Such is the trouble to which a European traveller is exposed 
in these countries by the injudicious arrangements of those 
very people whose chief object ought to be to assist him, while, 
at the same time, all "his friends in Europe think that he is well 
provided, and that he can proceed on his difficult errand with- 
out obstacle. 

On the 19th of March we received information that the army 
of Goberawa had encamped on the site of the former town of 
Roma, or Riima, and I was given to understand that I must 
hold myself in readiness to march at an hour's notice. 

Meanwhile the governor of Katsena, who had received ex- 
aggerated accounts of the riches which I was carrying with 
me, was endeavoring, by every means at his disposal, to sepa- 
rate me from the ghaladima, in order to have me in his own 
power ; and his measures were attended with a good deal of 
success, at least in the case of my Arab companion 'Ali el 
A'geren, who, although a man of some energy, allowed him- 
self too often to be frightened by the misrepresentations of the 
people. On his attempting to keep me back, I told him that, 
if he chose, he might stay behind, but that I had made up my 
mind to proceed at once, in company with the ghaladima, 
whatever might happen. I had the more reason to beware of 
the governor, as, just at the period of this my second stay 
here, when he knew I was going to his liege lord, I had an- 
other opportunity of becoming fully aware of the flagrant injus- 
tice exercised by him and his ministers. For the sherif, who, 
as I have said, had attached himself to my party in Zinder, 
having died here of dysentery soon after our arrival, he seized 
upon what little property he had left, notwithstanding that 
person had placed himself, in some respects, under my protec- 
tion ; and although he pretended he would send it to his rela- 
tives, there is no doubt that he or his people kept it back. The 
30 



350 

safety of the property of any European who should die in these 
regions ought to be taken into account in any treaty to be con- 
cluded with a native chief; but no such contingency was pro- 
vided for in draughts of the treaties which we took with us. 

Monday, March. 2lst. The whole town was in motion when 
we left ; for the governor himself was to accompany us for 
some days' journey, as the whole country was exposed to the 
most imminent danger, and farther on he was to send a nume- 
rous escort along with us. It was a fine morning, and, though 
the rainy season had not yet set in in this province, many of 
the trees were clad already in a new dress, as if in anticipation 
of the fertilizing power of the more favored season. 

The first day we made only a short march of about three 
miles, to a village called Kabakawa, where the ghaladima had 
taken up his quarters. I had scarcely dismounted, under a 
tree at the side of the village, when my protector called upon 
me, and in a very friendly manner invited me, urgently, to take 
up my quarters inside the village, stating that the neighbor- 
hood was not quite safe, as the Gobeniwa had carried away 
three women from this very village the preceding day. I, how- 
ever, preferred my tent and the open air, and felt very little 
inclination to confide my valuable property, on which depended 
entirely the success of my enterprise, to the huts, which are 
apt to catch fire at any moment ; for, while I could not combat 
against nature, I had confidence enough in my arms and in my 
watchfulness not to be afraid of thieves and robbers. 

In the afternoon the ghaladima came out of the hamlet, and 
took his seat under a neighboring tree, when I returned his 
visit of the morning, and endeavored to open with him and his 
companions a free and unrestrained intercourse ; for I was only 
too happy to get out of the hands of the lawless governor of 
Katsena, who, I felt convinced, would not have been deterred 
by any scruples from possessing himself of my riches ; indeed, 
he had gone so far as to tell me that if I possessed anything 
of value, such as pistols handsomely mounted, I should give 
them to him rather than to the Sultan of Sdkoto, for that he 



351 

himself was the emir el Mumenin ; nay, he even told me that 
his liege lord was alarmed at the sight of a pistol. 

[The party proceeded on their journey for the next nine days 
without any important incident. They were in constant fear, 
however, of attacks from robbers, many predatory bands being 
known to frequent the route which they travelled.] 

March SOth. We reached, a little past noon, the town San- 
sanne 'Aisa, which was originally a mere fortified encampment 
or "sansanne. " But its advanced, and, in some respects, iso- 
lated position as an outlying post against the Gdberawa and 
Mariyadawa rendered it essential that it should be strong 
enough by its own resources to offer a long resistance ; and it 
has, in consequence, become a walled town of considerable 
importance, so that travellers generally take this roundabout 
way, with a strong northerly deviation. Here also the wall 
is surrounded with a dense forest, affording a sort of natural 
fortification. 

Having entered the town and convinced myself of its con- 
fined and cheerless character, I resolved even here to encamp 
outside, though at considerable risk ; and I went to the well, 
which was about half a mile distant to the south, and, beino* 
five fathoms in depth, contained a rich supply of excellent 
water. Here a small caravan of people from A'dar, laden 
with corn and about to return to their native home, were en- 
camped ; and I pitched my tent on an open spot, close to some 
light cottages of Itisan settlers, who immediately brought me 
a little fresh cheese as a specimen of their industry, and were 
well satisfied with a present which I made them in return of a 
few razors and looking-glasses. These Tawarek are scattered 
over the whole of western Sudan, not only frequenting those 
localities occasionally as traders, but even sometimes settled 
with their wives and children. Their women also did not fail 
to pay us a visit in the afternoon, for they are extremely curi- 
ous and fond of strangers. 

When I had made myself comfortable, I received a visit from 
the ghaladima of the town ; he brought me the compliments 
of the governor, who was a man of rather noble birth, being 



352 'ALT' KA'RAMl'. — PRESENTS. 

nobody else but 'Ali Karami, the eldest and presumed succes- 
sor of 'Aliyu, the emir el Miimenin. He bears the pompous 
title of serki-n-G6ber, "lord of Gober," although almost the 
whole of that country is in the hands of the enemy. Having 
taken his leave, the messenger soon returned, accompanied by 
Alhattu, the younger brother of the ghaladima of Sokoto, who 
was anxious to show his importance, bringing me a fat sheep 
as a present, which I acknowledged by the gift of a fine helali 
berniis, besides a red cap and turban ; and the governor ex- 
pressed his satisfaction at my present by sending me also corn 
for my horses, and half a dozen fowls. In the evening we had 
a short but violent tornado, which usually indicates the ap- 
proach of the rainy season ; but no rain fell, and we passed the 
night very comfortably in our open encampment, without any 
accident. 

Thursday, March Slst. We had a very difficult day's march 
before us — the passage of the wilderness of Giindumi — which 
can only be traversed by a forced march, and which, even upon 
a man of Captain Clapperton's energies, had left the impression 
of the most wearisome journey he had ever performed in his life. 
But, before returning into our westerly direction, we had first 
to follow a northwesterly path leading to a large pond or tebki, 
in order to provide ourselves with water for the journey. It 
was still a good-sized sheet of water, though torn up and agi- 
tated by numbers of men and animals that had preceded our 
party from the town, and we were therefore very fortunate in 
having provided ourselves with some excellent clear water from 
the well close to our place of encampment. The pond was in 
the midst of the forest, which toward the outskirts presented a 
cheerful aspect, enlivened by a great number of sycamore-trees, 
and even a few deleb palms, but which here assumed the more 
monotonous and cheerless character which seems to be common 
to all the extensive forests of Negroland. 

The beginning of our march, after we had watered our ani- 
mals and filled our water-skins, was rather inauspicious, our 
companions missing their way, and with bugles calling me and 
my people, who were pursuing the right track, far to the south, 



ga'wasu'. 853 

till, after endeavoring in vain to make onr way through an im- 
pervious thicket, and after a considerable loss of time, anything 
but agreeable at the beginning of a desperate march of nearly 
thirty hours, we at length, with the assistance of a Piillo shep- 
herd, regained the right track. We then pursued our march, 
travelling, without any halt, the whole day and the whole night 
through the dense forest, leaving the pond called tebki-n-Gun- 
dumi at some distance on our left, and not meeting with any 
signs of cultivation till a quarter before eleven the next morn- 
ing, when, wearied in the extreme, and scarcely able to keep 
up, we were met by some horsemen, who had been sent out 
from the camp at Gawasii to meet us, provided with water- 
skins in order to bring up the stragglers who had lagged be- 
hind from fatigue and thirst. And there were many who 
needed their assistance — one woman had even succumbed to 
exhaustion in the course of the night ; for such a forced march 
is the more fatiguing and exhausting, as the dangers from a 
lurking enemy make the greatest possible silence and quiet in- 
dispensable, instead of the spirits being kept up with cheerful 
songs, as is usually the case. But having once reached the 
cultivated grounds, after a march of two miles and a half more 
we arrived at the first gawasu-trees, which surround the 
village, which is named after them, "Gawasu." In the fields 
or " karkara" adjoining this village, 'Aliyu, the emir el Mu- 
menin, had taken up his camping-ground, and was preparing 
himself for setting out upon an expedition against the Gdber 
people. 

It was well that we had arrived, having been incessantly 
marching for the last twenty-six hours, without taking into 
account the first part of the journey from the town to the pond, 
for I had never seen my horse in such a state of total exhaus- 
tion, while my people also fell down immediately they arrived. 
As for myself, kept up by the excitement of my situation, I 
did not feel much fatigued, but, on the contrary, felt strong 
enough to search, without delay, through the whole of my lug- 
gage, in order to select the choicest presents for the great 
prince of Sokoto, who was to set out the following morning, 
30* x 



354 FIRST MF.ETTNG WITH ALI'yU. 

and upon whose reception depended a good deal of the success 
of my undertaking. The afternoon wore on without my being 
called into the presence of the sultan, and I scarcely expected 
that I should see him that day ; but suddenly, after the even- 
ing prayer, Alhattu made his appearance with some messen- 
gers of the chief, not in order to hasten my present, but first to 
give me a proof of their own hospitality, and bringing me a 
very respectable present, consisting of an ox, four fat sheep, and 
two large straw sacks or takrufa containing about four hundred 
pounds weight of rice, with an intimation, at the same time, 
that 'Aliyu wished to see me, but that I was not now to take 
my present with me. I therefore prepared myself immedi- 
ately ; and on going to the sultan's we passed by the ghaladi- 
ma, who had been lodged in a court-yard of the village, and 
who accompanied us. 

We found 'Aliyu in the northern part of the village, sitting 
under a tree in front of his quarters, on a raised platform of 
clay. He received me with the utmost kindness and good 
humor, shaking hands with me, and begging me take a seat 
just in front of him. Having paid my compliments to him on 
behalf of the Queen of England, I told him that it had been 
my intention to have paid him a visit two years previously, but 
that the losses which we had met with in the first part of our 
journey had prevented me from carrying out my design. I 
had scarcely finished my speech, when he himself assured me 
that at the right time he had received the letter which I had 
addressed to him through the Sultan of A'gades (informing 
him of the reason why we could not then go directly to pay him 
our compliments), and that from that moment up to the present 
time he had followed our proceedings, and especially my own, 
with the greatest interest, having even heard at the time a 
report of my journey to A'daraawa. 

I then informed him that in coming to pay him my compli- 
ments I had principally two objects in view, one of which was 
that he might give me a letter of franchise, guaranteeing to all 
British merchants entire security for themselves and their pro- 
perty in visiting his dominions for trading purposes ; and the 



FRIENDLY CONVERSATION. 355 

second, that he might allow me to proceed to Timbuktu, and 
facilitate my journey to that place (which was greatly ob- 
structed at the present moment by the rebellion of the province 
of Kebbi) by his own paramount authority. Without reserve 
he acceded to both my requests in the most cheerful and as- 
suring manner, saying that it would be his greatest pleasure to 
assist me in my enterprise to the utmost of his power, as it had 
only humane objects in view, and could not but tend to draw 
nations together that were widely separated from each other. 
At the same time he expressed, in a very feeling way, his 
regret with regard to ' Abd Allah (Captain Clapperton), whose 
name I had incidentally mentioned, intimating that the then 
state of war, or "gaba, " between Bello and the Sheikh el 
Kanemi, the ruler of Bdrnu, had disturbed their amicable re- 
lations with that eminent officer, whom in such a conjuncture 
they had not felt justified in allowing to proceed on his errand 
to their enemies. In order to give him an example how, in 
the case of foreign visitors or messengers, such circumstances 
ought not to be taken into account, I took this opportunity to 
show him that the ruler of Bdrnu, although in open hostility 
with the most powerful of his ('Aliyu's) governors, neverthe- 
less had allowed me, at the present conjuncture, to proceed on 
my journey to them without the slightest obstacle. He then 
concluded our conversation by observing that it had been his 
express wish to see me the very day of my arrival, in order to 
assure me that I was heartily welcome, and to set my mind at 
rest as to the fate of Clapperton, which he was well aware 
could not fail to inspire Europeans with some diffidence in the 
proceedings of the rulers of Sokoto. 

With a mind greatly relieved I returned to my tent from 
this audience. The dusk of the evening, darkened by thick 
thunder-clouds, with the thunder rolling uninterruptedly, and 
lighted up only by the numerous fires which were burning 
round about in the fields where the troops had encamped 
under the trees, gave to the place a peculiar and solemn inte- 
rest, making me fully aware of the momentous nature of my 
situation. The thunder continued rolling all night long, 



356 PRESENTS. 

plainly announcing the approach of the rainy season, though 
there was no rain at the time. Meanwhile I was pondering 
over the present which I was to give to this mighty potentate, 
who had treated me with so much kindness and regard on the 
first interview, and on whose friendship and protection de- 
pended, in a great measure, the result of my proceedings ; and 
thinking that what I had selected might not prove sufficient to 
answer fully his expectation, in the morning, when I arose, I 
still added a few things more, so that my present consisted of 
the following articles : a pair of pistols, richly ornamented 
with silver; in velvet holsters ; a rich bernus (Arab cloak with 
hood) of red satin, lined with yellow satin ; a bernus of yellow 
cloth ; a bernus of brown cloth ; a white helali bernus of the 
finest quality ; a red cloth kaftan embroidered with gold ; a 
pair of red cloth trowsers ; a Stambiili carpet; three loaves 
of sugar ; three turbans and a red cap ; two pairs of razors ; 
half a dozen large looking-glasses, cloves, and benzoin.* 

Having tied up these presents in five smart handkerchiefs, 
and taking another bernus of red cloth with me for the ghala- 
dima, I proceeded first to the latter, who received his present 
with acknowledgments, and surveyed those destined for his 
master with extreme delight and satisfaction. We then went 
together to 'Aliyu, and found him in a room built of reeds, 
sitting on a divan made of the light wood of the tukkuriiwa, 
and it was then for the first time that I obtained a distinct 
view of this chief, for on my interview the preceding night it 
had been so dark that I was not enabled to distinguish his fea- 
tures accurately. I found him a stout, middle-sized man, with 
a round fat face, exhibiting evidently rather the features of his 
mother, a Hausa slave, than those of his father Mohammed 

* I may as well add, that the richly-mounted pistols which chiefly 
aided me in obtaining the friendship of this powerful chief, as well as 
another pair which I afterward gave to Khalilu, the ruler of Gando, and 
also several other things, were paid for with my own money, which was 
forwarded to Tripoli by my family at the suggestion of the Chevalier 
Bunsen, as well as two harmonica, one of which I gave to 'Aliyu, and the 
other to the Sheikh el Bakay. 



RECEPTION BY 'ALl'YU. 357 

Bello, a free and noble Piillo, but full of cheerfulness and 
good-humor. His dress also was extremely simple, and at 
the same time likewise bore evidence of the pure Piillo charac- 
ter having been abandoned ; for while it consisted of scarcely 
anything else but a tobe of grayish color, his face was un- 
covered, while his father Bello, even in his private dwelling, at 
least before a stranger, never failed to cover his mouth. 

He received me this time with the same remarkable kindness 
which he had exhibited the preceding evening, and repeated 
his full consent to both my requests, which I then stated more 
explicitly, requesting at the same time that the letter of fran- 
chise might be written at once, before his setting out on his 
expedition. This he agreed to, but he positively refused to 
allow me to proceed on my journey before his return from the 
expedition, which he said would not be long ; and, acquainted 
as I was with the etiquette of these African courts, I could 
scarcely expect anything else from the beginning. He then 
surveyed the presents, and expressed his satisfaction repeatedly ; 
but when he beheld the pistols, which I had purposely kept till 
the last, he gave vent to his feelings in the most undisguised 
manner, and, pressing my hands repeatedly, he said, "nagdde, 
nagdde, barka, 'Abd el Kerim, barka" — " I thank you, God 
bless you, 'Abd el Kerim, God bless you." He had evidently 
never before seen anything like these richly-mounted pistols, 
which had been selected in Tripoli by the connoisseur eyes of 
Mr. Warrington, and surveyed the present on all sides. It was 
to these very pistols that I was in a great measure indebted for 
the friendly disposition of that prince, while the unscrupulous 
governor of Katsena, who had heard some report about them, 
advised me by all means to sell them to himself, as his liege 
lord would not only not value them at all, but would even be 
afraid of them. 

Soon after I had returned to my tent the ghaladima arrived, 
bringing me from his master 100,000 kurdi to defray the ex- 
penses of my household during his absence ; and I had after- 
ward the more reason to feel grateful for this kind attention, 
although the sum did not exceed forty Spanish dollars, as I 



358 PRESENT FROM 'ALI r YU. 

became aware, during my stay in Wurno, how difficult it would 
have been for me to have changed my dollars into kurdi. I 
then satisfied my friend Alhattu, the younger brother of the 
ghaladima, whose behavior certainly was far from disinterested, 
but who, nevertheless, had not proved quite useless to me. 

Although we were here in the camp outside, and the people 
busy with their approaching departure, yet I received visits 
from several people, and, among others, that of a Weled Ra- 
shid of the name of Mohammed, who, on my return from Tim- 
buktu, followed me to Kiikawa in the company of his country- 
man, the learned A'hmed Wadawi. This man, having left his 
tribe on the southeastern borders of Bagirmi, had settled in 
this place many years before, and, having accompanied several 
expeditions or forays, gave me an entertaining description of 
the courage of the Fellani-n-Sokoto, although he had some 
little disposition to slander, and even related to me stories 
about the frailties of the female portion of the inhabitants of 
the capital, which I shall not repeat. 

Sunday, April 3d. Being anxious that the letter of fran- 
chise should be written before the sultan set out, I sent in the 
morning my broker, 'Ali el A'geren, with a pound of Tower- 
proof gunpowder, to the prince, in order to remind him of his 
promise ; and he returned after a while, bringing me a letter 
signed with the sultan's seal, which, on the whole, was com- 
posed in very handsome terms, stating that the prince had 
granted the request of commercial security for English mer- 
chants and travellers, which I, as a messenger of the Queen of 
England, had made to him. But the letter not specifying any 
conditions, I was obliged to ask for another paper, written in 
more distinct terms; and although 'Aliyu's time was, of 
course, very limited, as he was just about to set out with his 
army, even my last request was complied with, and I declared 
myself satisfied. I was well aware how extremely difficult it is 
to make these people understand the forms of the articles in 
which European governments are wont to conclude commercial 
treaties. In regions like this, however, it seems almost as if 
too much time ought not to be lost on account of such a mat- 



THE SULTAN SETS OUT ON HIS EXPEDITION. 359 

ter of form before it is well established whether merchants will 
really open a traffic with these quarters ; for as soon as, upon 
the general condition of security, an intercourse is really esta- 
blished, the rulers of those countries themselves become aware 
that some more definite arrangement is necessary, while, before 
they have any experience of intercourse with Europeans, the 
form of the articles in which treaties are generally conceived 
fills them with the utmost suspicion and fear, and may be pro- 
ductive of the worst consequences to any one who may have to 
conclude such a treaty. 

The sultan was kind enough, before he left in the afternoon, 
to send me word that I might come and take leave of him ; 
and I wished him, with all my heart, success in his expedition, 
as the success of my own undertaking, namely, my journey to- 
ward the west, partly depended upon his vanquishing his 
enemies. Giving vent to his approval of my wishes by repeat- 
ing that important aud highly significant word, not more pecu- 
liar to the Christian than to the Mohammedan creed, "Amin, 
amin," he took leave of me in order to start on his expedition, 
accompanied only by a small detachment of cavalry, most of 
the troops having already gone on in advance. I had also for- 
warded a present to Hammedu, the son of 'Atiku, an elder 
brother and predecessor of Bello ; but he sent it back to me, 
begging me to keep it until after his return from the expedi- 
tion. The ghaladima also, who was to accompany the sultan, 
called before his departure, in order that I might wind round 
his head a turban of gaudy colors, such as I then possessed, as 
an omen of success. 

After all the people were gone, I myself could not think of 
passing another night in this desolate place, which is not only 
exposed to the attacks of men, but even to those of wild 
beasts. Even the preceding night the hyenas had attacked 
several people, and had almost succeeded in carrying off a boy, 
besides severely lacerating one man, who was obliged to return 
home without being able to accompany the army. An hour, 
therefore, after the sultan had left his encampment, we our- 
selves were on our road to Wurnd, the common residence of 



360 RESIDENCE IN WURNO'. 

'Aliyu, where I had been desired to take up my quarters in 
the house of the ghaladima ; but I never made a more dis- 
agreeable journey, short as it was, the provisions which the 
sultan had given me encumbering us greatly, so that at length 
we were obliged to give away the heifer as a present to the 
inhabitants of the village of Gawasii. It thus happened that 
we did not reach our quarters till late in the evening ; and we 
had a great deal of trouble in taking possession of them in the 
dark, having been detained a long time at the gateway, which 
itself was wide and spacious, but which was obstructed by a 
wooden door, while there was no open square at all inside the 
gate, nor even a straight road leading up from thence into the 
the town, the road immediately dividing and winding close- 
along the wall 



CHAPTER XX. 



Residence in Wurno — Proceedings of 'Aliyu — Excursion to Sokoto — 
Market of Sokoto — Return to Wurno — Visit to 'Aliyu on his return 
from the expedition — Presents — Departure from Wurn6 — Reach 
Gando — Visit to Khalilu. 

Monday, April 4th. Having entered my quarters in the 
dark, I had no idea of their character, and it was not till the 
following day that I became aware of it. They consisted of a 
spacious court-yard containing nothing but a clay building, 
which comprised two apartments besides a small granary, 
built of clay, but which was covered all round with straw at 
the setting in of the rainy season, in order to protect it from 
violent rains. The clay hall had been built by A'bu, the 
elder brother and the predecessor of the present ghaladima, 
who greatly surpassed the latter in warlike energy, and who 
fell in Zanfara during that unfortunate expedition against the 
Goberawa, the preparations for which Mr. Overweg witnessed 
during his stay in Maradi, in the beginning of the summer 



MY QUARTERS IN WURNO'. 361 

of 1851. The principal apartment of this clay hall, sup- 
ported by two massive columns, with an average temperature 
of 94°, was an excellent abode during the hottest part of the 
day r when it felt very cool and pleasant ; but it was rather 
oppressive in the morning and evening, when the air outside 
was so much cooler. But in the court-yard there was not the 
slighest shade, all the trees in this quarter of the town, as 
well as the huts consisting of reed, having been swept away 
by a great conflagration the preceding year, a young kdrna- 
tree, which had been planted at a later period, only just be- 
ginning to put forth its foliage. The whole court-yard, also, 
was in a most filthy state, characteristic of the manners of 
the natives in their present degraded moral and political situ- 
ation. The first thing, therefore, that I had to do, in order 
to make myself tolerably comfortable, was to cleanse out this 
Augean stable, to build a hut for my servants, and a shady 
retreat for myself. I was well aware that the latter, which 
it was not easy to make water-tight, would become useless 
with the first considerable fall of rain ; but I entertained the 
hope that before that time I should be able to set out on my 
journey. 

It was market-day, there being a market held here every 
Monday and Friday, although the great market of Sokoto, 
which is much more important, even in the present reduced 
condition of that place, still serves to supply the wants of the 
inhabitants of all the neighboring towns and villages at large. 
Sending, therefore, into the market, in order to supply my 
most urgent wants, 1 found that corn, as well as meat, was 
even dearer here than in Katsena, 100 shells scarcely sufficing 
for the daily maintenance of one horse, and 800 shells buying 
no more corn than 500 would have done in Katsena, while an 
ox for slaughtering cost T000 shells ; and I bought two milk- 
ing-goats,' in order to enjoy the luxury of a little milk for my 
tea, for 2700 shells. The only article which was at all cheap 
was onions. The market is held on a natural platform spread- 
ing out in front of the northwestern gate, and surrounded and 
fortified by a ditch, as, in the present weak state of the Fiilbe, 
31 



362 ABUNDANCE OF COTTON. 

the market-people are liable to be suddenly attacked by the 
enemy. This place, as well as the whole of the town, I visited 
the following day, in company with my friend Alhattu, who, 
in acknowledgment of the present I had given him in Gawasu, 
and in expectation of more, took me under his special protec- 
tion ; but in crossing the town in a westerly direction from our 
quarters, I was surprised at its neglected and dirty appearance ; 
a small ravine which intersects the town forming a most dis- 
gusting spectacle, even worse than the most filthy places of any 
of the deserted capitals of Italy. Emerging then by the 
western gate (the kdfa-n-sabuwa), through which leads the 
road to Sdkoto, and which was just being repaired by the 
people of the ghaladima, in order to make it capable of with- 
standing the effects of the rainy season, we turned northward 
round the town. In front of each gate, on the slope of the 
rocky eminence on which the tOwn is built, there is a group of 
wells, each with a little round clay house, where the proprietor 
of the well has his usual residence, levying on each jar of water 
a small contribution of five shells ; but there are also a great 
number of wells facing the northwestern gate, close to the 
market. 

Having surveyed the broad dry valley of the gulbi, we 
turned round the precipitous cliffs over which winding paths 
led up to the town, and, having skirted for a while a small 
branch or koramma, which farther on turns away, we kept 
along the eastern side of the town, and re-entered the place 
from the southeastern corner, through the gate by which we 
had made our first entrance. 

Friday, April 8th. It was again market-day, and I made 
sundry purchases, including a small ox, for almsgiving, as I 
had made it a rule, in every large town where I staid any con- 
siderable time, to distribute alms among the poor. I was as- 
tonished at the great quantity of cotton which was brought 
into the market, and which showed what these fine vales are 
capable of producing, if the inhabitants, instead of being 
plunged in apathy and exposed to the daily incursions of a 
relentless enemy, were protected by a strong government. 



GLOOMY PROSPECTS. 363 

This very day we received the news that the rebellious Kabawa, 
or natives of Kebbi, had made a foray against Senina, a town 
situated on the most frequented road between Sdkoto and 
Gando, the two capitals and central seats of the power of the 
Fiilbe in these quarters. The neighboring Fellani had come 
to the rescue of the town, and had prevented the enemy from 
taking it, but six horses had been carried away. Only a few 
days later, the news arrived of another attack having been 
made by the rebels upon the town of Gando, the residence of 
Dyang-ruwa, one day's distance to the south from Birni-n- 
Kebbi, although this time they were less fortunate, and were 
said to have been driven back with the loss of twenty-two 
horses. Meanwhile the sultan himself, with his sluggish host 
of cavalry, instead of attacking the Gdberawa, who already, 
before we left Katsena, had taken the field with a numerous 
army, was said to be stationed in Katiiru. He had been 
joined by the governor of Zariya in person, while Kand had 
sent only the ghaladima with the whole of their cavalry. 

From Katiiru, 'Aliyu with his army, after some useless 
delay, betook himself to Kauri-n-Namdda, whence we received 
news on the 11th, the Gdberawa having meanwhile taken up a 
strong position in front of him, without being able to induce 
him to offer them battle. The dread of these effeminate con- 
querors for the warlike chief of the Gdberawa, the son of Ya- 
kiiba, is almost incredible. He has ruled since 1836, and the 
preceding year had roused the whole of the indigenous popu- 
lation of the various provinces to a struggle for their national 
and religious independence against the ruling tribe. This 
dread of him has been carried so far that they have quite ob- 
literated his real name, calling him only Mayaki, or "the war- 
rior." While 'Aliyu was stationed at Kauri-n-Namdda, and 
part of his army was in Dankarba, the A'zena made an attack 
upon Raya, a town situated at a day's distance from the former 
place. But the whole condition of the country, to the west as 
well as to the east, was most deplorable ; and three native 
merchants, of the Zoromawa or Zoghoran, when speaking 
about my projected journey toward the Niger, and beyond that 



364 JEALOUSY BETWEEN SO'KOTO AND GANDO. 

river westward, told me, in the most positive manner, "babo 
hana," "there is no road;" that is to say, "the country is 
closed to you, and you cannot proceed in that direction." And 
taking into consideration the low ebb of courage and enter- 
prise among the natives — the weakness and unwarlike spirit of 
'Aliyu — the complete nullity of Khalilu — the vigor of the 
young and warlike Mademe, the rebel chief of Kebbi, who, 
starting from his residence Argiingo, distant only a couple of 
hours' march from that of Khalilu, was carrying the flame of 
destruction in every direction — the revolted province of Za- 
berrna, with an equally young and energetic ruler, Daiid, the 
son of Hammam Jy'mma — the province of Dendina in open 
revolt and cutting off all access to the river — all these circum- 
stances rendered the prospect of my accomplishing this journey 
very doubtful. Moreover, besides the weakness of the two 
rulers of the Fiilbe dominions, there is evidently a feeling of 
jealousy between the courts of Sdkoto and Gando ; and here 
we find the spectacle of two weak powers weakening each 
other still more, instead of uniting most cordially in an ener- 
getic opposition against the common foe. For instance, the 
young chief of Kebbi, who at present caused them so much 
trouble, had been previously a prisoner in Wurno ; but when 
Khalilu wanted to take his life, 'Aliyu procured his liberty, 
and gave him a splendid charger to boot. 

But a European will achieve what the natives of the country 
themselves deem impossible ; and my friends the Zoromawa 
merchants, who wanted to induce me to relinquish my project, 
had perhaps their own private interests in view. They pro- 
bably entertained the hope that, in case of my being prevented 
from penetrating westward, I should be obliged to sell my 
stock here, which I now kept back as a provision for the road 
before me. By way of consoling them, I gave them a parcel 
of beads of the kind called dankasawa, which I found useless 
for the countries through which I had to pass, in exchange for 
some shells I was in want of for the daily expenses of my 
household. 

Wednesday, April 20th. A highly interesting and delightful 



385 

interruption to my protracted and involuntary stay in Wurnd 
was caused by an excursion which I made to Sokoto. The 
first part of this road I had already become acquainted with 
on a former ride, which had extended as far as Dankemu ; but 
at that period, being more intent upon inhaling the fresh air 
than upon laying down the country, I had not paid much at- 
tention to the extensive cultivation of rice which is going on in 
this valley, while on this occasion the features of the country, 
and, in particular, this branch of cultivation, formed a special 
object of attraction to me. For it was the first time during 
my travels in Negroland that I had seen rice cultivated on a 
large scale ; and as we were winding along the foot of the 
rocky hills to the southeast, crossing the various small channels 
which descend from them and afterward join the greater rivulet 
which we saw at some distance on our right, the country be- 
came dotted with small villages, or "rugga," as they are 
called by the Fulbe, some of them of historical renown, such 
as D'iggel, the village where 'Othmiin the Reformer had his 
usual residence before he rose to that great political importance 
which he attained in after times. But such is the degraded 
state of these conquerors at the present time, that even this 
village, which, if they had the slightest ambition or feeling of 
national honor, ought to be a memorable and venerable place 
to them for all ages, has been ransacked, by the Goberawa, and 
lies almost deserted. 

It is at Daghel that the valley attains its greatest breadth ; 
but as we advanced in a southwesterly direction it was nar- 
rower, till, at the village called Gida-n-miinomi, it became 
greatly contracted, shortly after which, the river turning away 
to a greater distance, the path ascended the rocks. It is the 
same path along which Clapperton, on his second journey, 
went so repeatedly from Sokoto to Magariya, but which, from 
the scanty information obtained from his papers in this respect, 
has been laid down so very erroneously. In general, I cannot 
praise too highly the zeal and accuracy (allowance being made 
for his positions of longitude) with which this eminent and suc- 
cessful traveller, who crossed the whole breadth of the African 
31* 



366 ARRIVAL AT SO'KOTO. 

continent between the Mediterranean and the Bight of Benin, 
has laid down his various journeys. On the other hand, the 
companion of his former travels, Major Denham, has shown 
great inaccuracy, both with respect to distances as well as to 
the direction of his various routes. 

Soon after starting in the afternoon we fell in with a long 
marriage procession, consisting of a bride and her mother, 
both mounted on horseback, accompanied by a considerable 
number of female servants and attendants, carrying the simple 
household furniture on their heads. 

Proceeding thus over the rocky ground, we reached the 
small rivulet of Sokoto, the "gulbi-n-Raba" or "Bugga," or, 
as it is called in its upper course, where I fell in with it on my 
return journey, gulbi-n-Bakiira. 

Ascending then the slope of the eminence on which the town 
is built, and which rises to about one hundred feet, and leaving 
a spacious "marina'' or dyeing-place on the slope of the hill 
on our left, we entered the walls of Sokoto by the kdfa-n-rimi ; 
and although the interior did not at present exhibit that 
crowded appearance which made such a pleasing impression 
upon Clapperton, the part nearest the wall being rather thinly 
inhabited, and the people being evidently reduced to a state 
of great poverty and misery, it made a cheerful impression on 
me, on account of the number of dum palms and korna-trees 
by which it is adorned. - 

Orders having been sent beforehand, I was quartered with- 
out delay in the house of the ghaladima — a clay dwelling in 
tolerable repair, but full of white ants, so that I was glad to 
find there a "gadd " or couch of reeds, where I was able to 
rest myself, and put away my small effects, without being con- 
tinually exposed to the insidious attacks of these voracious 
insects. Having thus made myself comfortable, my first visit 
the following morning was to Mddibo 'Ali, who had already 
testified his friendship for me by sending me a fat sheep to 
Wurno. Differing entirely from the present generation of beg- 
gars, whose ignoble habits make a long stay in Wurnd or 
Sdkoto intolerable, he is a cheerful old man of noble demeanor, 



ha'medu. 367 

and with pure Fulbe features, with which his middle height 
and rather spare growth exactly corresponded. He was simply 
but neatly dressed in a white shirt and a shawl of the same 
color. Modibo 'All is the oldest member of the family of the 
Reformer still alive, being the son of 'Ali, an elder brother of 
'Othman the Jehadi, and about seventy-five years of age. He 
was seated in the antechamber of his house, before the door 
of which his little herd of milch cows were assembled ; and he 
received me with unaffected kindness. I immediately saluted 
him as an old friend and acquaintance, and we had a very plea- 
sant and cheerful conversation, after which I delivered to him 
my present, consisting of a helali berniis, a piece of white 
muslin, a high red cap or " matri, " a small flask of " ottar " 
of roses, two razors, a pound of cloves, a loaf of sugar, and a 
looking-glass ; and he was particularly delighted with some of 
these articles, which, on account of the insecurity of the road 
at the present time, are imported more rarely even from 
Kand 

Having thus commenced an acquaintance with the most re- 
spectable man in the town, I made a longer promenade through 
its interior, when I found the chief quarter, which had been 
the residence of Bello, greatly dilapidated, and the royal man- 
sion itself in a state of the utmost decay. 

The chief, Hamedu, was at present absent ; but I had sent 
him a present immediately on my arrival in Gawasii, on ac- 
count of his influential position, although I thought it politic 
afterward to keep out of his way as much as possible, in order 
not to excite any jealousy, Hamedu being one of the nearest, 
if not the very nearest, to the succession, but opposed by the 
greater part of the present courtiers. Passing, then, along the 
well-frequented road which leads out of the town, we emerged 
from the kofa-n-'Atiku in order to obtain a first glimpse of the 
country which I was to traverse on my road to Gando. 

It was an open level tract, at present without many signs 
of vegetation ; but that part nearest the town was agreeably 
enlivened by a thriving suburb extending as far as the kofa-n- 
Taramnia, and buried in a thicket of shady trees and hedges, 



368 PLACE or clapperton 's death. 

thus presenting altogether a more animated spectacle than the 
interior of the town itself. Keeping along the machicolated 
wall, here only about twelve feet high and surrounded by a 
ditch, and following the path between it and the suburb, we 
entered the town, and turned our steps to the house of the 
gediido, where Captain Clapperton closed his meritorious 
career as an African explorer. 

The house is still in tolerable repair, 'Abdii, the son of the 
gedado, who, although not very energetic, and still less warlike, 
is a man of cheerful disposition and good principles, having 
too great a veneration for his father, who did so much toward 
embellishing and adorning this town, to allow his residence to 
go to ruin. The old gedado had long outlived his master 
Bello, and if I had proceeded to Sdkoto directly from A'gades, 
I should still have found 'him alive, for he only died during my 
presence in Kand in February, 1851. I will here only mention 
that it was believed for a moment in England that Clapperton 
died from the effects of poison ; but the amount of fatigue, pri- 
vations, and sickness to which this most eminent of African 
travellers was exposed on his circuitous journey, by way of 
Niipe and Kand, from the coast as far as this place, explains 
fully how he was unable to withstand the effects of the shock 
which mental disappointment exercised upon him ; nay, it is 
wonderful how he bore up so long, if his own hints with regard 
to the state of his health are taken into account. 

In the evening, my old friend Mddibo 'AH, and the mother 
of A'bii, the elder and more warlike brother of the present 
ghaladima, who was slain by the Gdberawa two years before 
my visit to this place, treated me hospitably, and I sent a pre- 
sent to S'aidu, a younger son of Bello, who resides in Sdkoto, 
and is considered as a sort of mayor. 

Friday, April 22d. It was the great market-day, which was 
of some importance to me, as I had to buy a good many 
things, so that I was obliged to send there a sum of 10,000 
shells ; but the market did not become well-frequented or well- 
stocked till between two and three o'clock in the afternoon, 
when I myself proceeded thither. I had taken a ride in the 




(370) 



THE MARKET OF SO'KOTO. 371 

morning through the south-eastern quarter of the town, pro- 
ceeding through the kdfa-n-'Atiku, thence along the wall, 
toward the west, and re-entered the town by the kdfa-n-'Ali 
Jedu, where the whole quarter is very desolate, even the wall 
being in a state of decay, and the fine mosque, built by the 
gedado during Clapperton's stay here, fallen entirely to ruins. 
But, even in the present reduced condition of the place, the 
market still presented a very interesting sight, the numerous 
groups of people, buyers as well as sellers, and the animals 
of various descriptions, being picturesquely scattered over the 
rocky slope, as I have endeavored to represent in the plate 
opposite. The market was tolerably well attended, and well 
supplied, there being about thirty horses, three hundred head 
of cattle for slaughtering, fifty takerkere, or oxen of burden, 
and a great quantity of leather articles (this being the most 
celebrated branch of manufacture in Sdkoto), especially leather 
bags, cushions, and similar articles, the leather dressed and 
prepared here being very soft and beautiful. There were more 
than a hundred bridles for sale, the workmanship of which is 
very famous throughout all this part of Negroland ; but espe- 
cially a large quantity of iron was exposed for sale, the iron 
of Sdkoto being of excellent quality and much sought for, while 
that of Kand is of bad quality. A good many slaves were ex- 
hibited, and fetched a higher price than might be supposed, a 
lad of very indifferent. appearance being sold for 33,000 shells ; 
I myself bought a pony for 30,000, It being just about the 
period when the salt-caravan visits these parts, dates also, which 
usually form a small addition to the principal merchandise of 
those traders of the desert, were to be had ; and I filled a 
leather bag for some 2000 shells, in order to give a little more 
variety to my food on the long road which lay before me. 

Altogether my visit to Sdkoto formed a most interesting inter- 
mezzo to my involuntary stay in the capital, although it could 
not fail to give me a farther insight into the frail character of 
the dominion of the Fulbe over these regions ; and during my 
stay here I certainly had no cause to complain of inhospitable 
treatment, as my friend Modibo 'Ali sent me every day a large 



372 'ali'yu's return from the expedition. 

basin of fura, the favorite drink of ghussub water, two dishes 
of hasty pudding, and two bowls of milk. Having given, by 
this excursion to the former capital, fresh energy to my spirits, 
I returned to my quarters in Wurno on the 24th, accomplish- 
ing the distance in little more than four hours ; and it was time 
that I returned, for in the evening of that same day the joyful 
news arrived that the sultan had reached Gandi. However, 
he did not enter Wurno till the 23d, having forwarded a mes- 
sage to me the preceding evening from Yan-serki, in the terri- 
tory of Raba, requesting me to meet him the following morning 
outside the town. In consequence of this, I mounted on 
horseback with the first dawn of day, but found the sultan 
already close to the gate, descending the rocky path which 
leads from the abovementioned place. He then made a halt 
with his whole suite, and saluted me in the kindest manner, 
calling me by my name, 'Abd el Kerim. The sultan was fol- 
lowed by the ghaladima ; and I here first made the acquaint- 
ance of the learned 'Abd el Kader dan Taffa (Mustapha), 
whom I was most anxious to see, in order to obtain from him 
some historical information. As soon as the people had dis- 
persed quietly, returning to their various quarters, I sent him 
a present, when he paid me a visit in the evening, and furnished 
me immediately with some positive data with regard to the 
history of the dynasty of the Asaki or A'skia, the rulers of 
Songhay, which he had perfectly in his head, and which were 
of the greatest importance in giving me an insight into the 
historical relation of the western countries of these regions 
with that of Central Negroland. 

April 2Wi. In the forenoon I went to 'Aliyu, in order to 
pay my compliments to him upon his safe return from this ex- 
pedition, which, although not very glorious, had yet proved 
not quite unprofitable, he having reduced to subjection the poor 
little hamlets of the rocky district of Kot<5rkosh6, the inhabi- 
tants of which had previously placed themselves under the 
protection of the enemy ; but even this insignificant victory he 
had only achieved through the bravery of the horsemen from 
Katsena, while his own men had, as usual, exhibited the greatest 



MUSICAL PRESENTS. 373 

cowardice. As long as the Fiilbe do not defeat the host of the 
Gdberawa, who take the field every year and offer them battle, 
the state of this empire will become daily worse and worse, 
while at present each of the two parties, the indigenous inhabi- 
tants as well as the conquerors, do nothing but accelerate the 
ruin of the country, without dealing a decided blow. 

Although I had made the chief a very respectable present on 
my first arrival, I thought it well to give greater impulse to his 
friendly disposition toward me by adding something also this 
time, presenting him with a cloth waistcoat and several smaller 
articles, besides a musical box, with the performance of which 
he was extremely pleased ; but, unfortunately, when, anxious to 
impart his delight to his greatest friend and principal minister, 
'Abdu, the son of Gedado, he had called the latter to witness 
this wonder, the mysterious box, affected by the change of cli- 
mate and the jolting of the long journey, was silent for a 
moment, and would not play. I may observe here that I think 
it better for travellers not to make such presents as musical 
boxes, which so easily get out of order. The sultan fully 
granted my request for a speedy departure, promising also to 
assist me in my dangerous undertaking with a small " rekkia" 
or escort ; and it was very essential to me to hasten my pro- 
ceedings, as the following day brought the first evident proof 
of the approach of the rainy season. 

Having made a present to the ghaladima also, I thought it 
better, in order to make up for the deficiency of the musical 
box, to satisfy the musical taste of the sultan by making him a 
present of one of the harmonica which the Chevalier Bunsen, 
in consideration of the great effect which the Rev. Mr. Kno- 
blecher had produced with the aid of such an instrument upon 
the inhabitants of the shores of the Nile, had procured for me ; 
but I succeeded afterward in repairing, in some measure, the 
musical box, which caused the good-natured chief inexpressi- 
ble delight, so that he lost no time in writing for me a com- 
mendatory letter to his nephew Khalilu, the chief of Gando. 
But I was extremely anxious to get away from this place, as I 
was sorely pestered by begging-parties, the inhabitants of 
32 



374 DEPARTURE FROM WURNO'. 

Wurnd and Sdkoto being the most troublesome beggars in the 
world, and besides them there being also many strangers in the 
town, especially the Kelgeres, who had brought the salt. 

Meanwhile the country became more unsafe ; and on the 5th 
of May the cattle of the village of Salame were driven off by 
the people of Cheberi, to the great loss of my friendj Abd el 
Kader dan Taffa, who had considerable property there ; but 
strongly reminded of the effects of the rainy season by a heavy 
shower which fell on the 6th, driving me out of my cool shed, 
I urged my departure, and in the afternoon of the 8th took 
leave of 'Aliyu with cheerful spirit, it being evident to me not 
only that he entertained not the slightest mistrust of my future 
proceedings, but on the contrary, even took considerable inte- 
rest in me, as he fouud that it was my earnest desire to become 
well acquainted with the country and the people, and that I 
was anxious to establish friendly relations wjth the most distin- 
guished and learned among them. But he gave me repeatedly 
to understand that he wished me not to go to Hamdallahi, to 
present my compliments to their countrymen and co-religionists 
there and their chief or his successor, we having just received 
a few days previously the news of the death of Shekho A'hme- 
du, while he had not the slightest objection to my going to 
Timbuktu, and paying a visit to the Sheikh El Bakay, who 
had spent some time in Sdkoto, and was on friendly terms with 
the family of Fddiye. 

Sunday, May 8th. At length I was able to pursue my jour- 
ney, which now, as soon as I had passed Sdkoto, was to lead 
me into almost unknown regions, never trodden by European 
foot. 

I was escorted out of the town, in grand style, by the gha- 
ladima with six horsemen, and then pursued my former track 
to Sdkoto. 

I was lodged in my old quarters, in the house of the ghala- 
dima, and was treated by my old friends Modibo 'All and 
S'aid with great hospitality. Although most anxious, on ac- 
count of the season, to continue my journey with the shortest 
possible delay, I remained here the four following days, in 



bodi'nga. 375 

order to procure what was still wanted in my outfit for the long 
journey before me, but principally from regard to the interests 
of my companion, 'All el A'geren, who had here to arrange 
some business ; hence we did not set out until the 14th of 



There had been so heavy a shower the preceding afternoon, 
that a large stream broke through the roof of my dwelling, 
and placed my whole room several inches under water. I 
passed, therefore, a most uncomfortable night, and when I got 
up in the morning I had a very bad headache. Everything, 
also, was extremely wet, so that it took us a long time to get 
ready our camels, and it was eight o'clock when we left the 
kofa-n-Taramnia, which, though the widest of the gates of the 
town, did not allow my two largest boxes to pass without 
damage. 

Thus we entered the large open plain, which is only bounded, 
at the distance of about three miles to the north, by a low 
chain of hills, and scarcely dotted with a single tree. Having 
then passed a larger village, called Kaffarawa, we crossed a 
considerable depression or hollow, stretching from S.W. to 
N. E., and this depression was soon succeeded by others of a 
like nature. Numerous herds of cattle were here grazing on 
the intervening pasture-grounds, which were adorned with syca- 
mores and monkey-bread trees ; and this continued till we 
reached Bodfnga, and took up our quarters in a small cluster 
of huts lying on the outside, close to the wall. 

Sunday, May 15th. While we were loading our camels, the 
governor of the town, who is a son of Mddibo 'Ali, of the 
name of Mohammedu, came out to pay me his compliments. 
He was of a cheerful disposition, and had treated us hospita- 
bly the preceding evening. He even accompanied me to a 
considerable distance, till we left, on our right, the town of 
Sifawa or Shifawa, an important place in the history of the 
Pullo reformer 'Othnian dan Fddiye, but at present almost 
desolate and reduced to great misery, presenting a fair speci- 
men of the state of the province of GUndo, which we here 
enteredo 



376 CHARACTER OP GANDO. 

Tuesday, May 1*1 th. We reached Gando, the residence of 
a powerful Piillo prince (as powerful as that of Sdkoto). 

As we approached the town of Gando, I could not help 
wondering how the people had been led to choose this locality 
as the seat of a large empire, commanded as it was by hilly 
chains all around, while the rising ground would have offered 
a far more suitable locality. But the situation of the town is 
on a par with the character of its dominion — without command- 
ing strength, and quite incapable of keeping together that 
large agglomeration of provinces which have gathered around 
it. However, for a provincial town, the interior is very plea- 
sant and animated, being adorned with a variety of trees, 
among which the banana is prominent. 

Having sent a messenger in advance, I soon obtained quar- 
ters in the house of El Khassa, the chief eunuch of the court; 
but they were extremely narrow and unpleasant, although I 
had a very good clay house for myself. 

Thus I had entered the residence of another very important 
Piillo chief, whose dominion extended several hundred miles 
over the country which I had to traverse, and whose friendship 
it was of the utmost importance for me to secure, as his pro- 
vinces inclose both banks of the Niger, while the dominion of 
the Sultan of Sdkoto does not reach the principal branch at 
all. It was the more unfavorable that the present ruler of this 
very extensive kingdom should be a man without energy, and 
most inaccessible to a European and a Christian. His name 
is Khalilu, and he is the son of 'Abd Allahi, the brother of 
the great Reformer 'Othman, to whom that remarkable man, 
at his death, gave the western part of his vast domains, while 
he installed the celebrated Sultan Bello over the eastern por- 
tion. Khalilu succeeded to his brother Mohammed Wani 
about seventeen years ago, and has since lived in a state of the 
greatest seclusion, well fitted for a monk, but by no means 
suited to the ruler of a vast empire, employing one of his 
brothers in order to keep up a certain show of imperial dignity 
where it was absolutely necessary. Thus, during the first 
few years of his reign, he had employed 'Abd el Kadiri, and 



el baka'y. 377 

was now employing Haliru, or, as the name is written, Had- 
hiru. Even by Mohammedans he is scarcely ever to be seen 
except on Fridays. It appeared, from my first arrival, ex- 
tremely doubtful whether he would allow me to see his holy 
face ; and after a vain struggle, merely in order that, by an 
untimely obstinacy in matters of form, I might not frustrate all 
my schemes of discovery, I agreed at length to deliver my pre- 
sent to the messengers of the sultan, in his palace, without see- 
ing him. This present consisted of almost the same number 
of articles as I had given to the emir of Sdkoto, with the ex- 
ception of the silver-mounted pistols. I gave him three ber- 
niises, one of yellow, one of red cloth, and the third of the kind 
called helali ; a haik or jerid of the finest quality, a Stambuli 
carpet, two entire pieces of muslin, a red cap, four loaves of 
sugar, three phials of rose oil, a pair of razors, five looking- 
glasses, a pound of cloves, and another of benzoin. 

It was very unfortunate that a foreigner and an adventurer, 
who had no other interest than his own selfishness, became the 
go-between with me and the sultan, and found ample oppor- 
tunities, owing to the monkish character of the latter, for ad- 
vancing his own interests, in the thousand embarrassments 
which he caused me. This was El Bakay, a person who made 
me hate his very name, though it afterward became so dear to 
me on account of my protector in Timbuktu being called by 
the same. However, he also was an Arab from the west, and 
from the tribe of the Kunta, but not connected in any way with 
the family of the sheikh. After having tried his fortune in 
several other places along the Niger, especially in Zagha and 
Yelu, he had at length settled down here, constituting himself 
a sort of consul of the Arabs, and, in the miserable state into 
which affairs were plunged in this court, soon exercising a 
great influence over the principal and the secondary rulers ; 
for, besides Khalilu, his several brothers enjoyed a large share 
of authority, to all of whom I had, in consequence, to make 
suitable presents besides. The most remarkable among them 
were the above-mentioned Haliru and Bii-Bakr Maiguna, the 
latter an aspiring and restless man, who occasionally distill- 



378 DIFFICULT TRANSACTIONS. 

guished himself by acts of great violence, and to whom, in con- 
sequence, I had to make a more respectable present, in order 
to insure myself against any predatory proceedings on his part. 

My present to the sultan himself seemed at first to have 
given great satisfaction ; but after a few days, matters assumed 
a different aspect, and I was told that the pistols which I had 
given to 'Aliyu were of more value than the whole of the pre- 
sents which Khalilu had received from me, while the empire 
of the latter extended over a larger tract of country than that 
of the former ; and I was clearly given to understand that it 
was not in my power either to proceed or even to retrace my 
steps, unless I gave much larger presents. After a protracted 
and serious dispute with El Bakay and my broker 'All el 
A'geren, I came at length to the determination of sacrificing 
the second handsome pair of silver-mounted pistols which I 
possessed, and then at length I had some prospect of being 
allowed to proceed on my journey, although the state of the 
country before me was really such as to make progress appear 
very difficult, and it was certainly very doubtful whether I 
should be able to reach the river. After much trouble and a 
great number of presents, however, which I had to give to the 
crafty Arab, I managed even to obtain a letter of franchise 
from Khalilu written with his own hand, but in so general a 
style that it had not much the character externally of an official 
document, although its contents were altogether very satis- 
factory, guaranteeing full security to any Englishmen visiting 
his territories, and commanding the officers of the various pro- 
vinces to respect their property and to facilitate their pro- 
ceedings. 

Besides the presents to be given to all these people, I had 
also to make a fresh sacrifice to my Arab 'Ali el A'geren ; for, 
notwithstanding the arrangement which I had previously made 
with him, when he saw the difficulties I was in, and being 
aware that the easy part of my journey was now over, he 
threatened to leave me if I did not accept the conditions which 
he prescribed to me. I had also the misfortune to lose, during 
my stay here, my best camel, which I had bought from the go- 



APPROACH TO THE NIGER. 379 

vernor of Katsena for 60,000 shells ; so that I was obliged to 
purchase another animal from Bii Bakr Maiguna at the price 
he demanded, camels here being very scarce. 

The kingdom or empire of Gando, according to its title, 
comprises a number of wealthy provinces, all lying along that 
great West-African river which opens such an easy access into 
this continent, or on its branches, although nobody who stays 
in the capital for any length of time would suppose that it 
holds such a pre-eminent rank. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



Approach to the Niger — Arrival at the Niger — Town of Say — Sebba — 
Libtako — Dore — Skill and address of Walati — Camp of the Tawa- 
rek — Arrival at Bourbarra. 

Saturday, June tth. At length I was allowed to proceed 
on my journey, which now soon promised to become of over- 
whelming interest, as I was approaching that great African 
river which has been the object of so much discussion and in- 
dividual ambition for so long a period. 

[During the first sixteen days of the journey which Dr. Barth 
now entered upon, no incident of importance occurred. He 
passed through the province of Kebbi, and visited several 
Songhay villages, hearing constant rumors of danger from rob- 
bers, and receiving protection from several chiefs to whom he 
made presents. We resume his journal as he approaches the 
Niger.] 

Sunday, June l§th. The district, through which lay the 
first part of this day's march, was extremely parched, and suf- 
fering from want of rain, and in consequence of this drought, 
notwithstanding the advanced season, the ground hereabout 
had not yet been brought under cultivation ; but after a march 
of a little more than three miles, through a country partly laid 
out in fields, partly covered with underwood, we entered a 
district which had been more favored with rain, and where the 



380 THE TOWN OF SAY. 

labors of the field had begun. The people here make use of a 
hoe with a long handle, of a different shape from what I have 
observed in other quarters. 

Forest and cultivated ground then again succeeded each 
other alternately ; and having passed a farming-village of some 
extent called Tanna, we took up our quarters about four miles 
beyond, in a village called Tdndifu, but were obliged to use 
force to obtain a hut for our use, as the head man of the vil- 
lage was too lazy, or too obstinate, to leave his cool shed in 
the heat of the day. The hamlet, which is rather a miserable 
one, has received its name from lying at the commencement of 
a rocky district, which extends from here to the river, a hill or 
mound being called " tondi " in the Songhay language. We 
were now close to the Niger ; and I was justified in indulging 
in the hope that I might the next day behold with my own 
eyes that great river of Western Africa, which has caused such 
intense curiosity in Europe, and the upper part of the large 
eastern branch of which I myself discovered. 

Monday, June 20th. Elated with such feelings, I set out the 
next morning, at an early hour ; and after a march of a little 
less than two hours, through a rocky wilderness covered with 
dense bushes, I obtained the first sight of the river, and in less 
than an hour more, during which I was in constant sight of 
this noble spectacle, I reached the place of embarkation, oppo- 
site the town of Say. 

In a noble unbroken stream, though here, where it has 
become contracted, only about 700 yards broad, hemmed in on 
this side by a rocky bank of from twenty to thirty feet in eleva- 
tion, the great river of Western Africa (whose name, under 
whatever form it may appear, whether Dhiuliba, Mayo, Eghir- 
reu, I'sa, Kwara, or Baki-n-riiwa, means nothing but "the 
river," and which therefore may well continue to be called the 
Niger) was gliding along, in a N. N. E. and S. S. W. direc- 
tion, with a moderate current of about three miles an hour. 
On the flatter shore opposite, a large town was spreading out, 
the low rampart and huts of which were picturesquely over- 
topped by numbers of slender diim palms. 




mm Mjusiiii 



(SS2) 



CROSS THE RIVER, 383 

This is the river-town, or "ford," the name Say meaning, 
in this eastern dialect, "the river." The Fiilbe call it Grhiitil, 
which name may originally have been applied to the ford at 
the island of Oitilli. The banks at present were not high ; 
but the river, as it rises, approaches the very border of the 
rocky slope. 

I had sent a messenger in advance, the preceding day, in 
order to have some large boats ready for me to cross the river. 
But no boat having arrived, I had plenty of leisure for contem- 
plating the river scenery, which is represented in the plate op- 
posite. There were a good number of passengers, Fiilbe and 
Songhay, with asses and pack-oxen, and there were some 
smaller boats in readiness suitable to their wants ; but at length 
the boats, or rather canoes, which were to carry me and my 
effects across, made their appearance. They were of good size, 
about forty feet in length, and from four to five feet in width 
in the middle, consisting of two trunks of trees hollowed out, 
and sewn together in the centre. These boats are chiefly em- 
ployed for conveying the corn from the town of Sinder, which 
lies higher up the river, to the town of Say ; and they had 
been expressly sent for by the "king of the waters," or the in- 
spector of the harbor, the " serki-n-jirgi," or " lamido-lala," 
as he is called by the Fiilbe, or "hiyokoy, " according to his 
title in the Songhay language. The largest of them was able 
to carry three of my camels ; and the water was kept out much 
better than I had ever yet found to be the case with the native 
craft of the inhabitants of Negroland. 

My camels, horses, people, and luggage having crossed over 
without an accident, I myself followed, about one o'clock in 
the afternoon, filled with delight when floating on the waters 
of this celebrated stream, the exploration of which had cost 
the sacrifice of so many noble lives. A little nearer the western 
bank, a short distance below the spot where the river is gene- 
rally crossed, an isolated rock starts forth from the river, rising 
at this season from twelve to fifteen feet above the surface ; and 
beyond there is a smaller one, which, as the river rises a little 
higher, becomes covered by the water. The sight of the river 



884 COMFORTLESS HUTS. 

was the more momentous to me, as I was soon again to take 
leave of it ; for my former notion, that I should be able to 
reach Timbuktu only by way of Libtako, had been confirmed 
in Gando, and I only entertained a slight hope that perhaps 
on a future occasion I might visit that part of the river between 
Timbuktu and Say. From the very beginning I entertained 
strong doubts whether I should be able to reach the western 
coast ; and it seemed to me more interesting to survey the 
course of the Niger between the point where it has become 
tolerably well known by the labors of Mungo Park and Rene 
Caillie, and the lower portion explored by the Landers, than 
to cross the whole extent of Central Africa, 

Having presented myself at the governor's house, I soon 
obtained quarters ; but they were not at all according to my 
fancy, being small and narrow. The town, in its very low 
position, is not refreshed by a single current of air, and alto- 
gether has a very oppressive atmosphere. The huts in these 
Songhay places are made rather for women than for men, the 
greater part of such huts being occupied by the female apart- 
ment or the alkilla, and the bedstead or serir, made of the 
branches of trees, being inclosed in a separate chamber of mats, 
and thus leaving only a very small entrance, and obstructing the 
whole interior of the dwelling, and. I was obliged first of all to 
take down one of these small matting bed-rooms in order to 
obtain some little ventilation in my hut. At length I had made 
myself somewhat comfortable, when the governor sent two 
calabashes of rice in the husk, and two others of millet, but no 
refreshment for the moment, though I stood very much in need 
of it, having been exposed to the sun during the hottest part 
of the day. To the master of the harbor, who had so oppor- 
tunely supplied me with the large boats, I made a present of 
1000 shells. Yery little rain had fallen as yet in this neighbor- 
hood ; and a thunder-storm which broke out in the afternoon 
did not reach us. Indeed the air in this low valley, which is 
probably at a level of about 350 feet, was so oppressive, that 
I felt at times almost suffocated, and unable to breathe. 

The following morning I took a ride round the place and its 



THE MARKET. 385 

neighborhood. The shape of the town is tolerably quadrangu- 
lar, being encompassed on three sides by a low rampart of 
earth, the side toward the river being unprotected. It is of 
considerable size, each side measuring about 1400 yards ; but 
the town is only thinly inhabited, the dwellings (all of which, 
except the house of the governor, consist of matting and reeds) 
lying scattered about like so many separate hamlets. It is in- 
tersected from north to south by a wide shallow depression or 
vale encompassed by diim palms, which are almost the only 
trees either inside or outside the town ; and at the end of the 
rainy season it becomes filled with water, causing great incon- 
venience to the business of the town and the intercourse between 
the various quarters, and greatly contributing to its unhealthi- 
ness. There can be no doubt that, in seasons when the river 
reaches an unusual height, the whole town is under water, the 
inhabitants being obliged to seek safety beyond the borders of 
the valley. 

There is a market held every day in the eastern part, not far 
from the bank of the river. Poor as it is, it is of some import- 
ance in the present state of the country ; and hence the town 
has a great name as a market-place among the inhabitants of 
Western Sudan, a great many of whom here supply their want 
of native manufactures, especially of the common clothing for 
males and females, as the art of weaving and dyeing is greatly 
neglected in this quarter, cotton being cultivated only to a very 
small extent. But the place was most miserably supplied with 
provisions, there being no store of grain whatever. Everything 
necessary was brought day by day from the town called Sinder 
• — situated about eighty miles higher up the river. I was 
greatly surprised at not finding here even a vestige of the cul- 
tivation of rice, although a large tract of ground on this low 
island, which, toward the rainy season, becomes partly inundated 
is particularly suited to that branch of cultivation. Not even 
onions are grown in the place ; but, fortunately, I had been 
informed of the circumstance beforehand, and had provided 
myself with a large supply of this useful article in Gando^ 
where the onions are excellent. 
33 z 



6bb TRAFFIC. 

Being detained in this place longer than I wished, and feel- 
ing a little better, on the Thursday following I took a ride 
along the river to some distance below, where it takes a westerly 
bend, and I was astonished at the dry and barren aspect which 
this island bore ; even here neither rice-crops nor vegetables, 
as might be expected along the banks of so noble a river, being 
seen. The island, which during the highest level the river 
attains becomes almost inundated, bore the aspect of a scorched 
treeless prairie ; and disappointed in my expectation of finding 
a cool shade, I returned into the town, being cheerfully saluted 
by all the people whom I met, the name of a modibo or learned 
man, which preceded me, gaining me the favor of the inhabit- 
ants. While passing along the streets, I was delighted to 
observe a certain degree of industry displayed in small handi- 
crafts and in the character of the interior of the households. 

Everything was very dear, but particularly butter, which 
was scarcely to be procured at all. All the currency of the 
market consists of shells ; but I found the most profitable mer- 
chandise to be the black cloth for female apparel from Gando, 
which realized a profit of eighty per cent., while the Kano 
manufactures did not find a ready sale. The black Niipe tobe, 
of common manufacture, bought in Gando for 3300 shells, here 
fetched 5000, while the black zenne, manufactured in Gando 
itself, and bought there for 1050, sold here for 2000. Of 
course all depends, in this respect, upon the momentary state 
of the intercourse of this quarter with Hausa ; and, at the pre- 
sent time, almost all communication with that manufacturing 
province being interrupted, it is easy to explain how an article 
produced in Gando could realize such a percentage in a town 
at so short a distance from that place — a state of things which 
cannot form the general rule. At any rate, for the English, or 
Europeans in general, Say is the most important place in all 
this tract of the river, if they ever succeed in crossing the 
rapids which obstruct the river above Rabba and especially 
between Biisa and Yaiiri, and reaching this fine open sheet of 
water, the great high road of Western Central Africa. The 
traffic of the natives along the river is not inconsiderable, 



387 

although even this branch of industry has naturally suffered 
greatly from the rebellious state of the adjacent provinces, 
more especially those of Zaberma and Dendina ; so that, at 
present, boats did not go farther down the river than Kirotashi, 
an important place situated about fifteen miles lower down, on 
the western bank, while in the opposite direction, up the river, 
there was constant intercourse as far as Kindaji, with which 
place I made myself sufficiently acquainted on my return 
journey. 

About noon the second day of my stay here I paid a visit' to 
the governor of the town. His name is A'bii Bakr, the son 
of the far-famed m'allem Mohammed Jebbo. I found him a 
tolerably cheerful person, although he is wanting in that man- 
liness of character which makes a lasting impression, and he 
bore evident signs of having been born of a female slave, while 
his manners appeared to me to possess something approaching 
to a Jewish character. He, however, was delighted to see me, 
as I was not only the first Christian who had ever visited this 
place, which Mungo Park, on his ever-memorable journey, 
seems to have passed by entirely unnoticed, but especially as I 
had come at a time when the whole intercourse of the country 
had been interrupted, and Arabs as well as natives were all 
afraid of visiting it. Having heard of the great superiority of 
Europeans over the Arabs, both in point of intelligence and 
industry, he entertained an earnest wish, if it could be accom- 
plished without detriment to the welfare of his province, that 
a vessel or steamer belonging to them might come and fill his 
poor market with luxuries ; and it was with the utmost sur- 
prise that he learned that I did not trade. But, on the other 
hand, this led the governor to think that, in exposing myself 
to such great dangers, I could not but have a very myste- 
rious object in view ; and he soon became alarmed, and asked 
repeatedly why I did not proceed on my journey. 

I had already been informed in Gando that A'bu Bakr, two 
years previously, had navigated the river with a small flotilla 
of boats, upward as far as Gagho or Gogo, the ancient capital 
of Songhay, and collected tribute from the Fiilbe or Fellani 



388 GURMA. 

settled near that place, but that he had been prevented by the 
threatening attitude of the Tawarek from penetrating any far- 
ther. In consequence of this expedition on the river, made in 
open boats which were continually filling with water, the gover- 
nor was suffering very severely from rheumatism, and was 
scarcely able to move. 

Having so many petty chiefs before me, and seeing that this 
officer did not possess much power, I did not choose to give 
him a large present ; but on my return the following year, 
when I still had something left, I made him a more consider- 
able present of a bernus. 

Having entered a new country, where a language was 
spoken (the Songhay) with which neither I nor any of my ser- 
vents was acquainted, and not being able to give much time to 
its study, as I had to apply myself to the Fulfulde, the lan- 
guage of the conquering tribe, I was extremely anxious to take 
into my service a native of the country, or to liberate a Song- 
hay slave ; but I did not succeed at this time, and, in conse- 
quence, felt not so much at home in my intercourse with the 
inhabitants of the country through which I had next to pass as 
I had done formerly. For Gurma, although originally in- 
habited by quite a distinct race, has been conquered and 
peopled by the Songhay to a great extent. 

Friday, June 2ith. I now left the Great River behind me, 
which formed the limit between the tolerably known regions 
of Central Negroland and the totally unexplored countries on 
the southwestern side of its course ; and with intense interest 
my thoughts were concentrated on the new region before me. 

[After passing through the hilly country of Gurma, and 
crossing the river Sirba (July 2d), the party reached the little 
town of Sebba on the 6th of July. This town is the capital 
of the province of Yagha.] 

Notwithstanding the poor character of the place, I was 
obliged to stay here two whole days, exclusive of the day of 
my arrival, in order to give the camels some rest, as they were 
suffering greatly from the effects of the rainy season, and on 
account of the holiday of the "fotr," which fell on the 8th. 



DEPARTURE FROM SEBBA. . 389 

If I had known the character of the province of Libtako bet- 
ter, I should have deemed it prudent to make even a longer 
stay here : and I would advise any future traveller to do so, 
taking care, however, to have a sufficient supply of shells with 
him, which will enable him to make himself quite comfortable 
in Y.igha. 

Music having announced the arrival of the important and 
joyful day soon after midnight, almost the whole of the men 
went out in the morning in order to say their prayers at about 
a mile's distance from the town. All the Fillbe were dressed 
in snow-white shirts, as a symbol of the purity of their creed ; 
but some of them wore dark-blue trowsers. There were about 
forty horses with the party, which probably was all that the 
townspeople could muster. 

Having had to sustain here a slight religious attack from 
the kadhi, who wanted to represent me as a sorcerer, I thought 
it prudent to make a small present to each of the holiday 
people, as a kind of seddega, or alms. The holiday also dis- 
turbed me in compiling a small vocabulary of the Gurma lan- 
guage, called by the Fiilbe Gurman-kobe, which I had begun, 
but was obliged to leave unfinished. 

Saturday, July §th. We left Sebba, the capital of the wil- 
derness — birni-n-daji, as I called it — passing through a dis- 
trict where forest and cultivated ground alternated. The 
slaves were busy in the fields rooting up the weeds from among 
the crops ; but, after a march of about four miles, we had to 
cross a very considerable water, which is here called Yali, and 
about whose course I am not able to give distinct information. 
It is said to come from Mdsi, and to join the river Sirba not 
far from Bosebango ; but the latter statement is incredible. 
The water being not less than four feet and a half in depth, 
with a breadth of at least four hundred yards, most of our lug- 
gage became wetted. 

After a march altogether of about eleven miles, we reached 
the village of Namantiigu, which still belongs to the province 
of Yagha, the mayor of which we had met a short time before 
on the road as he was going to look after his cattle. 
33* 



390 namantu'gu. 

The village is of some importance, and consists of several 
groups which cover an extensive tract of ground, lyiug strag- 
gling about in the fields ; but the huts themselves are very nar- 
row, and the one which was assigned to myself was so small 
that there was scarcely room to breathe. Nothing is more un- 
healthy for a European than these abodes of stench and filth ; 
but during the rainy season he is often obliged to seek shelter 
in these dirty dwellings, especially if he has valuable property 
in his possession. 

Namantugu, which seems to have been of considerable im- 
portance in the history of the Songhay empire, was a rather 
eventful place for my whole subsequent proceedings, as I here 
met an Arab from the west, in whose company I was safely to 
enter the town of Timbuktu. He called himself Sheikho, 
though this was not originally his proper name ; and, in order 
not to cause any mistake, I will in future call him (from his 
father and the name of his birth-place) Weled A'mmer Walati. 
He was certainly a very remarkable fellow ; and I shall have 
frequent occasion in the farther course of my journey to advert 
to his doings. Being originally a native of Walata, he had 
emigrated to Timbuktu, whence he had roved about a great 
deal among the Tawarek as well as among the Fiilbe, and was 
at present on his way from Belauga, the residence of one of 
the principal chiefs of Gurma. lie had a good quantity of 
the broad gabaga, or cotton strips, of Mdsi with him, which 
form the staple currency in the whole tract of country from 
Libtako to Timbuktu, ten dr'a being reckoned equal to one 
hundred shells. Besides Arabic, he spoke Fulfulde, Songhay, 
Mosi, and Barabara fluently, and Temashight, or the language 
of .the Tawarek, almost as well, and altogether was one of the 
cleverest men whom I met on my journey, in spite of the 
trouble he caused me and the tricks he played me. He was a 
handsome man, of middle size and of rather slender growth, 
and with very fine expressive features. His dress consisted of 
a long black gown, with a black shawl wound round his head ; 
and his whole appearance, as he was moving along at a solemn 
thoughtful pace, frequently reminded me of the servants of the 



do're. 301 

Inquisition. However, his real character at the time of our 
first meeting was of course unknown to me, and I was de- 
lighted at having found such a man, as he held out to me the 
fairest prospects of reaching Timbuktu. But although I con- 
vinced myself that this man would be of great service to me, 
yet I did not make a bargain with him immediately, but we 
agreed that I should arrange with him in Ddre, when he would 
be able to settle his own business. 

The village of Namantugu is almost exclusively inhabited 
by Fiilbe, all of whom were clad in the purest white, even the 
little children wearing round their heads a large turban of 
white cotton strips ; but this was perhaps in consequence of 
their festival having been held the previous day. A great 
deal of rain had fallen hereabouts ; and cotton appeared to be 
cultivated to a considerable extent. 

[On the 12th of July the party arrived at Ddre, the capital 
of the province of Libtako.] 

Ddre is principally a great place of resort for the Arabs of 
A'zawad, the district to the north of Timbuktu, who bring to 
this market the salt of Taodenni in great quantities, and occa- 
sionally even reside here for a long time ; but they generally 
come direct from A'zawad without touching at Timbuktu, pro- 
ceeding by way of Gragho (the ancient capital of the Songhay 
empire, and once the great gold-market of the western part of 
Negroland), or still more direct, by Tdsaye, the point where 
the river greatly contracts before it changes from an easterly 
to a southeasterly course. Some of them are very wealthy 
people, one individual having as many as forty camels with 
him. Among other important information, I received from 
them the news that Hamed Weled Habib, the sheikh of A'ra- 
wan, who, from the account of Caillie, is generally regarded 
in Europe as the chief murderer of Major Laing, had died a 
short time before, after a reign of nearly forty years ; and I 
regarded this piece of news as a very auspicious omen for the 
success of my undertaking. 

I was peculiarly situated with regard to my new companion 
El Walati, who was the sole reason of my making so long a 
stay in this place, while my exhausted camels, instead of hav- 



392 el wala'tt. 

ing, as it was asserted, a fair opportunity of recruiting their 
strength for the remainder of the journey, were growing weaker 
every day from want of good feeding. The clever Arab, who 
represented himself as a very important person in Timbuktu, 
and as an intimate friend of the Sheikh El Bakay, under whose 
especial protection I intended to place myself, at times had the 
power of raising my spirits by the interesting information 
which he was able to give me. Now and then, for instance, 
he described the great mercantile importance of Sansandi, or 
dwelt upon the great authority enjoyed by the chief, whose 
fame had inspired me with so much confidence in my under- 
taking this journey to the west, and through whose influence 
the former mercantile importance of Timbuktu had not only 
been entirely restored, but a new interest had accrued to it as 
being the seat of a religious chief of high authority, who exer- 
cised an influence not very unlike that of the Pope of Rome 
over a very large tract of country, and extending even over 
the pagan tribes around, into the very heart of Mdsi, that 
country which, as we shall see more distinctly farther on, from 
a remote age has been the champion of paganism against Is- 
lam. But, on other occasions, the conduct of my companion 
was so little straightforward as to fill me with serious fears. 
Nevertheless, I here entered into an agreement with him, giving 
L i tn a fine black tobe and a black shawl, and stipulating to 
reward him on my safe arrival in Timbuktu with a present of 
twenty dollars and a white helali bernus, besides buying him 
here a horse for the price of another tobe, three tilrkedi, and a 
black shawl. On the whole, at that time, I was too much im- 
posed upon by his fascinating manners to become fully aware 
of his intriguing character; and perhaps it was well that it 
was so, or I might not have trusted myself into his hands. 
However, by degrees, I became heartily tired of the long 
delay which he, together with 'Ali el A'geren, forced 
upon me. 

Thursday, July list. At length I set out on the last and 
most dangerous stage of my journey to Timbuktu, thinking at 
the time that I should be able to reach that celebrated place 
in about twenty days ; but I underrated the distance, such a 



leave do're. 393 

very different position having been assigned to that mysterious 
place by geographers ; and I had no idea of the difficulties 
which attended this journey, at least for a Christian, and the 
delays which would be caused me by the character of the new 
companion whom I had attached to me. 

On leaving the turbulent town of Ddre, a great many armed 
people accompanied me, much against my inclination, and 
their conduct was so suspicious that we were obliged to make 
a halt and send them about their business, for the inhabitants 
of this place, not long before, had robbed and killed in a simi- 
lar manner a wealthy sherif, whom they pretended to escort on 
his way from Sansindi. Just in crossing the shallow concavity 
where every year a very extensive sheet of water is formed, 
which often assumes the dimensions of an immense lake, we 
met a large caravan of Mdsi traders from Biissumo, their asses 
heavily laden with immense bundles of tari, or cotton strips, 
and with Kola nuts. Farther on, where a little cultivation of 
cotton appeared, the monkey-bread or baobab tree became pre- 
dominant. Altogether, the whole province seemed to be in a 
miserable state ; and the village Danande, which we passed 
after a march of about seven miles, bore evident traces of hav- 
ing suffered from the effects of war. 

[No incident of moment occurred till July 25th, when Dr. 
Barth was saved from an attack of the natives by the tact and 
address of his Arab companion.] 

Monday, July 25th. We rose with the hope that we might 
arrive at an early hour in Aribinda, or rather the chief place 
of that district, although we were aware that we should have 
to cross another considerable sheet of water ; but we were sadly 
disappointed, for, after a march of about three miles through 
a more rugged district with black and red granite and a great 
quantity of gneiss, we reached the wide inundations of a river 
called Biiggoina by my companions, which we endeavored in 
vain to cross. Seeing that we should not succeed here, we 
struck off into the forest in a southwesterly direction, in order 
to ford it higher up, when suddenly we fell in with two men 
who were pasturing a couple of asses ; but, although we made 



394 ESCAPE FROM A DIFFICULTY. 

signs to them that we were their friends, they would not hear 
us, and beating their shields cried out lustily to their compa- 
nions, who all on a sudden rushed out in every direction from 
behind the bushes, and in a moment surrounded us. There 
were from 150 to 200 people, all tall slender men, half naked, 
with nothing but a poor ragged cloth round their loins, and 
another rag, still poorer, round their heads, and each armed 
with a couple of spears and a ragged shield, which they bran- 
dished over their heads with warlike gesticulations. The affair 
seemed rather serious, and here it was fortunate that I had 
such a clever companion as the Walati with me ; for, while I 
was pointing my gun, he begged me to ride quietly in advance 
straight upon those people, and at the same time cried out to 
them that I was a sherif, and a friend of the Sheikh El Bakay, 
to whom I was carrying a number of books from the east. 
All of a sudden they dropped their spears and thronged around 
me, requesting me to give them my blessing ; and the circum- 
stances under which I was placed obliged me to comply with 
this slight request, although it was by no means a pleasant 
matter to lay my hands on all those dirty heads. 

On the whole it was very fortunate that we met with these 
people ; for without their aid and information we should scarcely 
have been able to cross the water which intersected our track, 
at least without a most serious loss to our luggage. People in 
Europe have no idea what it is to travel during the rainy 
season in these regions ; else they would not wonder that poor 
Dr. Vogel, in going at that time of the year from Yakoba to 
Zariya, lost most of his instruments and all his collections 
in crossing the rivers. 

They were poor people from G'ao, or G-dgd, and the neigh- 
borhood, a mixture, as I thought at the time, of Songhay and 
Tawarek, but speaking only the language of the former ; but 
I found afterward that they belonged to the tribe of the 
Gabero. They had visited the market of Ariblnda, and were 
at present on their way to Dore and Libtako, carrying as mer- 
chandise on a couple of asses and bull oxen nothing but cotton 
strips, or "tari," rice, and a few mats, of which latter article 



CROSSING A SWAMP. 395 

they brought me three as a present. Having received my 
blessing, and the tumult having quieted down, they conducted 
us to a place where they declared the water to be fordable. 
But the boggy ground inspired us with but little confidence ; 
and it really caused us an immense deal of trouble. My people 
Mere obliged to carry all the luggage, even the heaviest, across 
the swamp, which was half a mile in breadth, the camels being 
scarcely able to make their way, even unloaded ; and I myself 
had the misfortune to fall under my horse in the midst of the 
swamp, almost as badly as had happened to me on a former 
occasion on my journey to Kanem. I was firmly convinced 
that my horse would not be able to carry me over, and that it 
would be the safest way to cross the bog on foot ; but I allowed 
myself to be swayed by the Walati, who thought that my 
dignity, in presence of those native travellers, absolutely required 
me to remain on horseback. It was on this occasion that all 
my journals got wet through in a most miserable way, and we 
had the greatest difficulty in extricating my horse from the bog, 
in which it was lying for some minutes as if dead. 

It was almost three o'clock in the afternoon when we again 
set out from the opposite side of the swamp ; but we had first 
to return along the water in a northeasterly direction, in order 
to gain the direct track. We then proceeded at an expeditious 
rate, in order to arrive at Aribinda before nightfall. A short 
distance before we reached our destination, the whole character 
of the country changed, granite mounds rising on our right and 
left to considerable altitude, and leaving only a narrow passage 
through which to proceed, the beautifully sweeping slope of the 
eminence on our right being pleasantly adorned with bushes 
and enlivened by goats. 

Having left another village at the foot of the granite range, 
we took up our quarters in the lamorde or residence of the 
chief of Aribinda, which is likewise situated at the foot of the 
granitic ridge, part of the huts being built on the slope, and 
part in the plain, the latter forming a group by itself, which, 
with its projecting and receding walls, formed a sort of defence. 
Here we obtained quarters without delay, two of my people 



306 a'bu-bakr. 

having crone in advance; but they were narrow, dirty, and un- 
comfortable, and appeared to us the more miserable as a great 
deal of rain fell during our stay here. 

I had been very anxious to conceal the more valuable articles 
of my property from the prying eyes of my clever but greedy 
Arab companion ; but the following day, as I was obliged to 
dry some of my luggage, which had been completely soaked, 
he got a peep at some fine bernuses which I had with me, and, 
in order to satisfy his covetousness, I thought it prudent to 
make him here a handsome present. Altogether my luggage 
suffered severely from the many water-courses which we had to 
cross at this stage of my journey, as well as from the excessive 
dampness of the weather. I also made some presents to the 
governor, but was rather astonished when, on setting out, he 
begged from me the very tobe which I was then wearing. 

[The party now passed through the village of Filiyo, to 
Tinge, where they were delayed by profuse rains.] 

Tuesday, August 2d. We at length set out to pursue our 
journey, which now became full of danger, as we had to tra- 
verse the province of Dalla, which is ruled by a governor in 
direct subjection to the fanatical chief of Masina residing in 
Hamda-Allahi, who would never allow a Christian to visit his 
territory. I was therefore obliged to assume the character of 
an Arab. Just at that time a change in the government of 
this district had taken place, a young inexperienced lad having 
succeeded to the former ruler. 

Fortunately, there had been no rain the afternoon of the 
preceding day, so that the country had dried up a little from 
the inundation of the last of July, and the weather was fine 
and genial. Thus cheerfully proceeding on our road, we met 
several people on their way to the town with fowls and milk : 
for during our stay in Tinge the communication with the neigh- 
boring places had been entirely interrupted by the heavy rains. 
A'bu-Bakr, the head man of Tinge, escorted me to some dis- 
tance, when he left me with a hearty wish for the success of 
my undertaking, and begged me urgently to be on my guard. 
Iu taking here quite a northerly direction we now entered a 



bo'xe. 397 

province where the population of the Fiilbe entirely prevails, 
and this day we had passed several encampments of Fiilbe 
cattle-breeders on our route, consisting of oblong oval-shaped 
huts, constructed of matting. Cattle seemed to abound ; but 
the cultivation of the ground was rather scanty, and the cha- 
racter of the country uniform, and without any interesting 
features, the trees consisting almost exclusively of talha and 
homed. We had also to cross a river, at present about 200 
yards wide and two feet deep, which the preceding day had 
evidently been impassable, and had carried away several head 
of cattle, a fact we learned from a Piillo neatherd whom we 
passed on our road, as he was cheerfully stalking before his 
cattle, and leading them along merely by the sound of his 
voice. 

[No incident of importance took place till the arrival of the 
party at Bone, on the 9th of August.] 

Greatly fatigued by our long march, especially as a cool 
breeze in the morning was followed by an oppressive heat in 
the noon-day hours, we reached, at five o'clock in the after- 
noon, the Fiilbe village of Bone, situated at the foot of the 
eastern mound ; but, although I had sent two of my people 
in advance, we were unable to obtain quarters, and after some 
unavailing dispute we were obliged to encamp outside in the 
open grassy vale between the two mountains ; for the inhabit- 
ants of this village, who are exclusively Fiilbe, do not like 
strangers to enter their dwellings, at least not for a night's 
quarters. They however treated us in the evening with a good 
supply of milk, while they also informed us that a large en- 
campment of that section of the Tawarek which is called Ire- 
genaten was at a few miles' distance. El Walati supposed, or 
rather pretended to suppose, that they were the clan of a 
powerful chief of the name of Somki, and assured me that it 
would be necessary to make this chief a handsome present, in 
tfrder that under his protection we might proceed safely from 
camp to camp till we reached the banks of the Niger ; for, al- 
though we might have travelled by a more southerly road turn- 
ing from this point westward to Nuggera, it seemed more 
34 



308 visit a tawa'kek encampment. 

prudent to endeavor to get out of the range of the dominion 
of the Fiilbe, in order not to be at the mercy of the chief of 
Hamda-Alluhi, who certainly could not but be hostile to my 
intention of reaching Timbuktu. And it seems not to be out 
of place to mention here that this very Niiggera, a hamlet of 
some note, as being the residence of learning and holiness, was 
the point from which the founder of the dynasty of Hamda- 
Alliihi started. 

Wednesday, August 10th. In conformity with our project, I 
myself, with El Walati and two of ray people on horseback, 
leaving my luggage behind with the rest of my servants, 
started in the morning for the camp of the Tawarek, having 
provided a very handsome present, consisting of a large Niipe 
tobe, a red cap, a turkedf, and three fine "haf " or "litham," 
altogether worth about 20,000 shells. However, we had only 
proceeded about a mile when we met a few Tawarek serfs, who 
informed us that it was not Somki, but another chief who had 
moved his encampment to this place; and, from what I ob- 
served, I concluded that El Walati had been well aware of this 
before, but only wanted to extort from me a large present. 
Once in the hands of this crafty Arab, I had to use great dis- 
cretion in order to prevent him from betraying me altogether, 
and I was obliged to bear silently any little trick which he 
might play me in order to enrich himself, as long as I pro- 
ceeded onward and approached the object of my arduous un- 
dertaking. We therefore moved on, and, soon leaving the 
mountains behind us, after a march of about eight miles through 
a plain covered with dense underwood, reached the encamp- 
ment of the Tawarek. 

This was a very important stage of my journey. Having 
with the greatest difficulty and danger crossed the wide open 
country of the other more easterly tribes of the Tawarek on 
the setting out of our expedition, and heartily glad to have 
got rid of them, I here once more entered their territory, and 
delivered myself up into their hands without enjoying the pro- 
tection of a single powerful chief, and guided solely by the 
advice of that crafty man whose only purpose was to get from 



THE CAMP. 399 

me as much as possible* The encampment consisted of leather 
tents of larger or smaller size, but it evidently belonged to a 
chief without great power, as seemed to be apparent from the 
total absence of camels and horses. However, I immediately 
conceived a favorable impression of the muscular strength and 
dexterity of these people ; for when we approached the tent 
of the chief, who was sitting inside upon his couch of reeds, 
he with a single jerk jumped out and suddenly stood upright 
before us. Of course the tent was open in front, but, never- 
theless, it appeared to me a great gymnastic feat, especially 
taking into account the lowness of the entrance, as in jumping 
out he had to stoop at the same time. Without delay a 
smaller tent was placed at our disposal, and we made ourselves 
comfortable. 

The tents, "ehe" (pi. ehennan), consist of a large round 
piece of leather formed of a great number of smaller sheep- 
skins cut in quadrangular pieces and sewed together, while the 
borders of the whole are left purposely very irregular, in order 
to pass the stalks which describe the outward circle of the tent 
through the projecting corners. These skins are spanned over 
three pairs of poles, the middle pair of considerable elevation, 
the remaining two not so high, and one of them, on the right 
of the entrance, being forked, as represented in the following 
wood-cut, although, as far as I have become aware, the middle 
poles are not always the same, in some tents both joining at 
the top, in others seeming to stand apart. The whole cha- 
racter of these tents will be still better understood from the 
plate representing the Tawarek encampment at Amalelle in a 
subsequent part of this volume. 

In such a tent there are generally two couches, or divans, 
called "teshegit, " made of a fine species of reed, and raised 
about a foot from the ground ; for these people generally 
choose the most swampy places for their encampments, and 
after a thunder-storm are sometimes to be found in the midst 
of a lake. They are also not wanting in comforts ; and on 
every couch there is a leather pillow, " adafdr, " which certainly 
seems very essential, as it would be most uncomfortable to rest 



400 



TAWA'REK COMFORTS. 




Tent of the Tawarek, the robbers of the Desert. 



the elbow on the uneven and hard surface of these reed couches. 
Almost all the furniture of these simple people, besides a few 
wooden bowls for eating and drinking, consists of leather bags 
of excellent workmanship and sometimes very tastefully orna- 
mented. In these they stow away their clothes as well as their 
provisions, and during the night they surround the whole tent 
with very neat mattings of a fine species of reed, so that a 
tent of this description forms quite a comfortable dwelling. 

Although our host was evidently not one of the first-rate 
chiefs, he, as well as his kinsfolk and friends who came to visit 
us, had a very noble and prepossessing appearance, being 
rather broad-shouldered, stout, and well knit, with a pleasing 
expression of countenance and a fair skin, though there were 
a few among them who, with their coarse features and their 
dark skin, bore testimony to the deterioration of the Berber 
blood. We had scarcely made ourselves comfortable, when 
we were treated with large quantities of fresh and sour milk, 
while a fat sheep was slaughtered and prepared for our supper, 



BOGS AND SWAMPS. 401 

but without any additional food, these people living almost 
entirely on meat and milk. 

Of course I had to make a handsome present to my new 
friends, consisting of a fine black tobe, a turkedi, and a black 
haram ; but I doubt very much whether my friend El Walati 
gave them these articles as a present from me, or whether he 
sold them as his own. However, be this as it may, I wanted 
not only their protection, but their assistance, too, as my 
camels were so weakened by the continual humidity to which 
they were exposed, that they were not fit to carry my luggage 
any farther. But, besides, as we had to pass the seats of these 
lawless tribes, we had to grope our way as well as possible 
from one encampment to the other, so that we wanted guides ; 
and it was therefore arranged that, hiring a couple of pack- 
oxen at this place, we should join this tribe the following morn- 
ing, when they would take us on our way to the chief, Somki. 

On returning from this encampment to Bone, being misled 
by a man who professed to know the district, which for the 
most part consists of swampy ground, we fell into a dangerous 
bog, and made our way with great difficulty. We were also 
visited by a very heavy thunder-storm in the evening, which 
swamped the whole country, killed one of my camels, and ren- 
dered our night's rest very uncomfortable. In consequence of 
this violent rain our road the next day, on our way to the 
Tawarek, was very bad, and we had great difficulty in avoid- 
ing the swamps ; but I was rewarded by the picturesque aspect 
of the scenery, a rich cascade rushing down over the steep 
cliffs of the mountain from a height of about two hundred feet, 
and forming at the bottom a powerful torrent, which swept 
along through a fine border of vegetation in the direction of 
Bone. The poor independent inhabitants of that mountain had 
left their stone cottages and caves on the slope of the steep 
cliffs, and were busy, after the fertilizing rain, with the labors 
of the field in their limited grounds, clearing them of the weeds. 
The crops promised well, and had a healthy appearance. When 
we disturbed these poor people in their labors, they retired 
behind the safeguard of their Cyclopean rocks, and stared at 
34 * 2a 



402 ENCAMr NEAR THE TAWA'rEK. 

ns with great curiosity, the unusual appearance of our whole 
train causing thein a great deal of dismay ; and it was in vain 
that we endeavored by our gestures to persuade them to con- 
tinue their labors, as they did not understand us, while we were 
greatly pleased to observe that, although pagans, they were 
decently clad with neat aprons of cotton round their loins. 

Having at length joined our friends of yesterday, we pitched 
our linen tents, which greatly attracted their attention, at some 
distance from their leather dwellings, and were soon beset by 
numbers of the fair sex, some of whom were distinguished by 
their plumpness, especially by that peculiar feature called " te- 
biilloden," which I mentioned on a former occasion; but I 
was forced to frighten these fair visitors away, as, in conse- 
quence of the last day's thunder-storm, I felt very unwell, and 
was obliged to have recourse to an emetic. As for the men, 
their dress consisted throughout of a short shirt with short 
open sleeves, made of a coarse kind of broad cotton strips ; 
only a few young lads, sons of the chief, wearing also here in 
the encampment blue-dyed shirts, with a patch of red cloth to 
adorn the large breast-pocket. Their head-dress was likewise 
very poor, consisting not of a whole shawl, haram or tesilge- 
mist, but of single cotton strips of various colors, blue, red, 
white, and of the mixed kind called " shahariye," sewed to- 
gether, only a few of them being able to add a strip of red 
cloth : for, altogether, these Tawarek are very fond of a variety 
of colors, a feature already observed by that most excellent 
geographer El Bekri, and never leave the manufactured shirts 
of Niipe and H^usa as they receive them, with the exception 
of a few of the greatest chiefs, who pride themselves in posses- 
sing a whole shirt of that kind. Owing to the swampy charac- 
ter of the neighborhood, which produced countless hosts of 
rausquitoes, and to the number of hyenas, which frightened the 
cattle repeatedly, I passed a restless and sleepless night. 

Friday, August 12th. I was now in the hands of the Tawa- 
rek, and my crafty Arab companion was enabled to take full 
advantage of my dangerous situation. For, on the one hand, 
it had become necessary to represent me to these simple people 



imegge'lele'. 403 

as a great sherif, and thus to excite their hospitable feelings, 
while at the same time he instigated me to reward their treat- 
ment in a generous manner, but nevertheless sold my presents 
to them as his own property. It required a great deal of pa- 
tience and forbearance on my part to bear up against the nume- 
rous delays in this part of our journey, and to endure the many 
tricks played upon me by the treachery of my companion, in 
order to prevent at least his proceeding to open violence. In 
this encampment he bartered the horse which I had bought for 
him at Libtako, for seven fat and powerful bulls, which, in Tim- 
buktu, probably might fetch from 8000 to 10,000 shells each. 
This business being at length settled, and the whole encamp- 
ment breaking up, we proceeded onward. The men were 
mostly mounted on horses of a small unsightly breed, but well 
adapted to bear fatigue, while the women were sitting astride 
on their household furniture, which was packed on oxen and 
asses. 

Proceeding thus slowly onward, our friends encamped about 
a mile from their former resting-place, or " amazagh," close 
beyond an extensive meadow-water which caused the young 
herbage to spring up all around, and full of holes, thus crea- 
ting frequent delay. 

Continuing, then, our journey alone, and ascending higher 
ground, where a little cultivation was being carried on by the 
slaves of the nomadic tribe which at present have taken pos- 
session of these grounds, and passing another encampment, we 
reached, after a march of about eight miles, the camp where 
we were to make another halt. It was situated in an open 
tract of ground called Imeggelele, adorned only by a few 
stunted talha-trees, while at some distance to the south a flat 
vale spread out, clothed with a greater profusion of vegetation, 
and affording rich pasture to numerous flocks of sheep and 
goats. The whole tract forms a sort of irregular valley, 
bordered toward the north by a hilly chain of slight elevation, 
and toward the west by a cluster of flat-topped cones. 

The camp was governed by three different chiefs, called 
Sitina, Jawi, and Ferefere, the latter being a man of a very 



404 PACK-OXEN. 

powerful frame. Several small presents were necessary to 
satisfy them all. Besides, as the two pack-oxen which I had 
hired the day before were to return from this place, I had 
to buy here two animals myself ; and I had great difficulty, in 
the course of the following day, in concluding a bargain : but 
I at length succeeded in buying one bull, with a tobe worth 
here 6000 shells, and a tiirkedi of inferior quality worth 2000 ; 
and a second one, with three haf worth 4000, together with a 
tiirkedi worth 3500. This was not, however, their real value, 
but the price fixed by El Walati, who had himself a profit of 
at least fifty per cent. He also was the sole cause of my being 
detained here so long, as he wanted to sell the mare which he 
had brought with him from Buhinga ; for horses constitute the 
chief article of trade with these people, and small Fiilbe traders, 
or rather Jawambe or Zoghoran, visit them continually, bring- 
ing horses from Sofara and the country of Biirgu, where the 
best animal fetches not more than about 30,000 shells, and 
bartering them with these people for cattle, and the first even- 
ing of our arrival a numerous troop of these native traders 
arrived. It was here that I observed, for the first time, some 
of the Tawarek clad entirely in shirts made of leather, which 
they are skilful in preparing. 

Sunday, August \Uh. The bargaining being at length con- 
cluded, we got ourselves in readiness to pursue our journey, 
when a violent thunder-storm, gathering from the north, kept 
us back till nearly noon. We at length set out ; but the re- 
cently-bought animals were so intractable that we only moved 
on at a very slow pace. We had first to retrace our steps a 
little to the eastward, in order to cross the hilly chain which 
separated us from the sandy downs along the Niger ; and had 
then to descend a very steep sandy slope, which brought us 
into an irregular valley, with the mountains of Dalla forming 
a conspicuous object toward the west. Having then turned 
round a mountain spur, which stretched out into the plain on 
our right, we reached the encampment of Bele, a powerful 
chief of the degraded tribe of the Haw-n-adak. His exterior 
had nothing of that noble appearance which so eminently dis- 



be'le'. 405 

tinguishes the higher class of these wild tribes, as he was of 
unwieldy corpulency, and of a rather short figure, resembling 
the famous South- African chief, Nangdro, visited by Messrs. 
Galton and Andersson. He received us, however, very hos- 
pitably, and proved to be rather an intelligent man ; but, for- 
tunately, he had not sufficient cleverness to discover that I was 
a Christian, although, from the very first moment when he be- 
held my luggage, he arrived at the firm conclusion that I was 
not what my companions represented me to be, namely, a 
sherif from the far east ; but he had made up his mind, on 
account of the little knowledge which I possessed of his lan- 
guage, and which I had not quite kept back before him, that 
I was a merchant, either from Ghadames or Morocco, and it 
was quite amusing to me to hear him argue this point, while 
he affirmed with the greatest obstinacy, and with an oath, that 
I was a Shilliih — a Berber from the north, and wanted to 
represent myself as a sherif, in order to pass through his tribe 
with less trouble and expense. He, as well as his people, be- 
came, by degrees, rather troublesome ; but they treated us 
well, sending us two prepared sheep, and large dishes of rice 
boiled in an abundance of butter, but without salt. The chief 
himself is said to consume every day a sheep, and the supply 
of milk from seven cows, in this respect reminding us of the 
Emperor Yitellius. 

August 16th. At length we were again on the road; but 
our march, through a rather level tract of country, was only of 
short duration, and after a little more than six miles, having 
crossed a basin where a large sheet of water had collected, we 
again took up our quarters in another encampment the chief 
of which was stated to possess authority, so that I had once 
more to give presents to the value of nearly 10,000 shells, be- 
sides a turkedi and " haf " to be given to the man belonging 
to Bele, who had served us as a guide. I had likewise to send 
a present to a Tarki chief at some distance, in order to take 
every precaution recommended to me by my companion to 
insure my safety, although I felt certain that he himself ap- 
plied the greater portion to his own use. It was thus that 



406 

my supplies rapidly disappeared, and I had a fair prospect, 

if this state of things should continue for any length of time, 
of arriving in Timbuktu greatly lightened. We were, how- 
ever, hospitably treated by our hosts, and were even regaled 
with the uncommon luxury of a large dish of " megata, " a 
sort of maccaroni, prepared from wheat with a rich seasoning 
of butter, and famous since the time of El Bekri. As a proof 
that we were approaching Timbriktu, I may mention that the 
people of this encampment were extremely anxious to get a 
sip of tea, which they called the water of Simsim, from the 
celebrated well of that name in Mekka. Auother of my 
camels being knocked up, I here exchanged it for four bulls, 
one of which was fit for carrying burdens, being equal in value 
to two or three of the others ; but I had afterward a keen 
dispute on account of this bargain, the camel having subse- 
quently died. 

August It//?. Having then passed a small tract of culti- 
vated ground and emerged from the undulating country, we 
obtained a sight of the town of Bambara, situated a little in 
front of a chain of hills. In an hour more we reached the 
place, and at the instigation of our Arab companion fired 
a salute with our pistols, whereupon the principal individuals 
made their appearance, and we obtained quarters without fur- 
ther delav. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



Residence in Bambara — Dr. Bartli taken for a rain-maker — Diplomacy 
of the Arab, Walati — Visit to Somki — Dr. Barth again passes for a 
successful rain-maker — Voyage on the Niger to Kabara, 

I had to stay in Bambara several days, not all for my own 
comfort, as I continually ran the risk of being recognised and 
identified, having been known as a Christian at the short dis- 
tance of a few days' journey from here. Xothing but the 



407 

scanty intercourse which is kept up in this region made such a 
sudden change of character possible, for as yet I had nobody 
to protect me. But my friend El Walati, whose relation with 
the inhabitants of this place was of a peculiar character, de- 
rived the sole benefit from our stay. He had married here, 
four years previously, a rich wife, and had absconded with all 
her property : besides having seriously offended the powerful 
Tarki chief Somki. Having thus made himself so obnoxious 
to them, he would not have been able to enter the place again 
if he had not found an opportunity of enriching himself at my 
expense and enjoying the protection of my company. How- 
ever, it was only by degrees that I became acquainted with all 
these circumstances, while I had to bear silently all the in- 
trigues of this man, my only object being to reach safely in his 
company the town of Timbuktu ; but it was evident enough 
that he was continually wavering, whether it was not more 
profitable for him to deliver me into the hands of the Fiilbe, 
as he knew well that in the town of Dar-e'-Salam, which was 
only thirty miles distant, there was a powerful governor, under 
the ruler of Masina, and himself a son of Mohammed Lebbo, 
who, at the first intelligence of my real character, would have 
cut short all my proceedings, and, in the most favorable case, 
would have sent me direct to his liege lord and nephew in 
Hamda-Allahi. 

I had to make here some considerable presents to a number 
of people. There was first our host Jobbo, who had given us 
quarters, and who treated us very hospitably ; then, the son 
of the chief or emir, who was absent in Hamda-Allahi ; next, 
three kinsmen of the latter, who were represented to me as dha- 
lemin ; and lastly, three Arabs from Timbuktu, who were stay- 
ing here at the time, and whose friendly disposition I had to 
secure for some reason or other. Besides these presents to 
the inhabitants of the place, I had also to reward the various 
people who had accompanied us from the Tawarek encamp- 
ments in order to show us the road, or rather to drive the 
sheep and cattle belonging to El Walati. But, in return for 



403 SOMKI. 

nil these presents, I was at least treated hospitably, and, for 
these countries, even sumptuously. 

While we were staying in this place I received a visit from 
two Tawarek chiefs, who, owing to our slow progress, had 
heard of me, and came in order to obtain from me my bless- 
ing, but more particularly some presents. The chief of them 
was a very respectable-looking man of the name of Mohammed, 
or Hemaheme, with large open features, such as are never seen 
among the Kelowi, and of a tail stately figure. They behaved 
very friendly toward me, and one of them even embraced me 
very cordially ; but the scale of their religious erudition was 
not very considerable, and I was greatly amused when El 
Walati, in order to get back from them his tobacco-pouch, 
which they had secretly abstracted from him, suddenly seized 
one of my books, which happened to be " Lander's Journey, " 
and, on threatening them with it as if it were the Kuran, the 
pouch was restored without delay. 

I had been questioned repeatedly on my journey respecting 
the Mehedi, who was expected soon to appear ; but these 
people here were uncommonly anxious to know something 
concerning him, and could scarcely be prevented from identi- 
fying me with this expected prophet, who was to come from 
the East. 

They were scarcely gone when a messenger arrived from the 
great chief Somki, whose name had already filled my imagina- 
tion for so long a time ; and, at El Walati 's most urgent re- 
quest, who did not fail to enhance the importance of this man 
as much as he was able, I prepared a considerable present, 
worth altogether 33,000 shells, which my friend was to take to 
him on the following day. 

Now, it would not have been at all necessary to have come 
into any contact with this chief, as the direct road to Tim- 
buktu led straight from here, without touching at Sarayamo, 
near which place Somki had formed his encampment ; but my 
friend represented the direct road from here to Timbuktu as 
leading along the encampments of several powerful chiefs, 
whom it would be more prudent to avoid ; and perhaps he 



CHARACTER OF BARBARA. 409 

was right, not so much from the reason stated as on account 
of the water-communication between Sarayamo and Tim- 
buktu offering a great advantage. In conformity with these 
circumstances, on the third day of our stay here, El Walati at 
length set out for the encampment of Somki, in order to ob- 
tain his protection to enable me to pass safely through his 
territory ; and I sent along with him my faithful servant, 
Mohammed el Gatrdni, whom I had just cured of a severe 
attack of dysentery, although I could not expect that he would 
be able to control the proceedings of the crafty Arab, as he 
did not understand the language of the Tawarek. They did 
not return until the third day, and gave me in the mean time 
full leisure to study a little more accurately the relations of 
this place. 

On my first arrival at the town of Bambara, I had not been 
at all aware that it formed a most important point of my jour- 
ney, it being for me, as proceeding from the southeast, what 
that celebrated creek three days west from Timbuktu was to the 
traveller from the north during the Middle Ages, and which on 
this account has received the name of " Ras el ma/' The town 
of Bambara is situated on a branch or rather a dead backwater 
of the river, forming a very shallow bottom of considerable 
breadth, but a very irregular border, and containing at that time 
but little water, so that the communication with the river was 
interrupted. 

I was assured by the inhabitants that only one plentiful 
shower had as yet fallen. This was the reason that, instigated 
by the absurd rumor which had preceded me that my favor 
with the Almighty was so great that it had some influence upon 
the fall of rain, all the inhabitants, although Mohammedans, 
assembled on the second day of El Walati's absence, and, 
headed by the emir, came to me in procession, and solicited 
my interference in their behalf for a good shower of rain. I 
succeeded this time in eluding their solicitations for a direct 
prayer, satisfying them by expressing my fervent hope that the 
Almighty would have mercy upon them. But I was so favored, 
35 



410 INTRIGUES OF EL WALA'tI. 

that there was really a moderate shower in the evening, which 
did a great deal of good to the ground. 

At length, on the evening of the third day after their setting 
out, my two companions, whom I had sent to Somki, returned, 
and El Walati would fain have made me believe that that chief 
had at first most obstinately refused to receive the presents, 
and had peremptorily demanded that I should make him, in 
addition, a present of one of the horses ; but the fact was, that 
he had persisted in representing that those presents did not 
come from me, but had employed them to make his own peace 
with that powerful chief, and to conclude some bargain with 
him. After all this, he had the insolence to propose that I also 
should go to that chief, in order to surrender to him some more 
of my property as his own ; but I could not prevent it, and my 
only object was necessarily to get over my difficult situation as 
well as possible. 

Thursday, August 25/7i. Having, after the return of my 
friend from his important embassy, still been obliged to stay 
another day in this miserable place, and having had the mis- 
fortune to lose my best ox of burden, which El Walati had sold 
to the Tawarek who came along with us, pretending that it 
had been stolen, I at length set out on my journey to Sarayamo. 
[On the 26th, Dr. Barth visits Somki and receives a new 
proof of his Arab companion's diplomatic talents.] 

In open swampy meadow-grounds, girt by a dense belt of 
gerredh, where no Arab would think of pitching his tent, was 
the encampment of the chief Somki, with his family and his 
followers (the tents of the kind I have described being just 
pitched), and his numerous herds of cattle grazing right and 
left, besides about twenty camels. We found the chief reclining 
on his "teshegit" or divan of reeds, and as soon as he beheld 
us he rose and saluted El Walati and me. He was a man of 
middle stature and of tolerably stout proportions, his white 
beard, which looked forth from under the litham, giving him a 
highly respectable appearance. He, however, did not show us 
any signs of hospitality, which vexed me the more, as, besides 
the considerable presents which I had sent to him a few days 



MOHAMMED BONYA r MI. 411 

before, I bad now again to make him another one, consisting 
of two tiirkedis and a haf ; but I soon found that he was not 
aware of the former presents having been sent by me. 

Saturday, August 21th. We set out on our last day's jour- 
ney by land, in order to reach the place where we were to em- 
bark on the river. -Having emerged from the low swampy 
ground, we entered again sandy downs, principally clothed with 
haskanit, damank&dda, and bu-rekkeba or Panicum colonum, 
and, having left on one side a smaller channel, we reached the 
branch of Fatta, which extends almost as far as Sarayamo, 
running parallel to several other creeks, called after the villages 
Kasba, Haibongo, and Benesenga, which intersect the district 
named Bdddu. 

The water at first formed a narrow irregular channel of about 
200 yards wide, very much resembling an artificial canal, as is 
the case with a great many of these backwaters, but gradually 
it began to widen, affording excellent soil for the cultivation 
of rice. Between this channel and the river there are several 
other branches, which appear to join the creek which I navi- 
gated from Sarayamo. Altogether, in this level part of the 
Niger, the river appears to spread out in a labyrinth of chan- 
nels and water-courses. As for the rice which was grown here 
exclusively, it appeared to have been just sown with the assist- 
ance of the dew, which suffices for its growth till the river rises 
and spreads its inundation. 

Having then left this water-course at some distance on our 
right, we reached three miles farther on the town of Sarayamo, 
the chief place in the province of Kiso. A great many people 
being here collected at the news of our arrival, we fired a salute 
with our pistols, and after a little search, owing to the very 
low entrances of most of the huts which would not admit my 
luggage, obtained tolerable quarters. 

I had scarcely made myself comfortable, when I received a 
great number of visits ; and it was not long before Mohammed 
Bonyami arrived, mounted on a white mare. As El Walati 
had persuaded me to take only one horse to Timbuktu, I sent 
two of my animals with this man to remain with him until my 



412 saraya'mo. 

leaving; that place, while I also intrusted to his care my five 
camels, to be taken to a brother of his. 

While I was conversing with these people, my friend the Haj 
Biida arrived also, with whom I continued to pass for a Syrian 
sherif, although he thought it strange that I would not say my 
prayers with him in the court-yard. 

Sunday, August 28th. Having enjoyed a good night's rest, 
tolerably free from musquitoes, as I had shut my hut at an early 
hour, I took a walk down to the river, the morning being, as 
usual, cool and fresh, and a slight breeze having sprung up. 
The bank on which the town stands was, at present, from 
twenty-five to thirty feet above the level of the river ; but this 
elevation is of course greatly diminished by the rising of the 
inundation, the river reaching generally to the very border of 
the village. That branch which is not in direct connection 
with the water of Fatta, along which our last day's march had 
laid, had no current, and was about 200 yards in breadth. 
The communication by water along these shallow backwaters 
of the immense Xiger just opening (for in the dry season the 
connection is interrupted), only one sea-worthy boat was lying 
here at the time, neither conspicuous for its size, nor for its 
comfortable arrangement, and with two cabins of matting, one 
in the prow, and one in the stern, while another boat measuring 
forty feet by eight, was just repairing. All the craft are built 
of planks, sewed or tied together in a very bungling manner. 

I learned, on this occasion, that it is only at this season of 
the year that people go from here to Timbuktu, which lies 
almost exactlv north from this place, bv an eastern winding • 
while later in the season they follow T a westerly branch. A 
labyrinth of creeks, backwaters, and channels is in this manner 
spread over the whole of this country, of which people had no 
previous idea. 

I had scarcely returned to my quarters when the governor, 
or emir, of the place came to pay me a visit. This man, whose 
name was 'Othman, was a cheerful kind of person. He stands 
in direct subjection to the chief of Hamda-Allahi, without 
being dependent upon any other governor ; and his province 



VARIOUS PERFORMANCES. 413 

comprises some other places in the neighborhood, such as Fatta, 
Horesena, and Kabeka. Having made strict inquiries with 
regard to the present state of affairs in Stambiil, and having 
asked the news respecting the countries of the East in general, 
he left me, but returned again in the course of the afternoon, 
accompanied by the chief persons in the town, in order to so- 
licit my aid in procuring rain. After a long conversation 
about the rainy season, the quantity of rain which falls in dif- 
ferent countries, and the tropical regions especially, I felt my- 
self obliged to say before them the " fat-ha, " or opening 
prayer of the Kuran ; and, to their great amusement and de- 
light, concluded the Arabic prayer with a form in their own 
language — "Alia hokki ndiam " — which, although meaning 
originally, " God may give water," has become quite a com- 
plimentary phrase, so that the original meaning has been almost 
lost, few people only being conscious of it. It so happened 
that the ensuing night a heavy thunder-storm gathered from 
the east, bringing a considerable quantity of rain, which even 
found its way into my badly-thatched hut. This apparent effi- 
cacy of my prayer induced the inhabitants to return the follow- 
ing day, to solicit from me a repetition of my performance ; 
but I succeeded in evading their request by exhorting them to 
patience. But, on the other hand, I was obliged, in addition 
to a strong dose of emetic, to give the governor my blessing, 
as he was going to the capital, and was rather afraid of his 
liege lord the young prince A'hmedu, while at the same time 
his overbearing neighbors, the Tawarek, inspired him with a 
great deal of fear. In the sequel, he was very well received 
in the capital, and therefore could not complain of the ineffi- 
cacy of my inspiration ; but, nevertheless, not having had the 
slightest suspicion that I was not what I represented myself to 
be, he was much shocked when he afterward learned that I was 
a Christian, to the great amusement of the Sheikh el Bakay, 
who wrote to him repeatedly to the effect that he ought to be 
well pleased that so wicked a person as a Christian had pro- 
cured him not only rain, but even a good reception from his 
superior. 

35* 



414 



EMBARK OX TIIE CREEK. 



Having succeeded in hiring the boat which had come from 
Timbuktu for the exclusive use of my own party, for 10,000 
shells, I prepared my luggage, which, although now greatly 
reduced from the respectable bulk which it presented when 
setting out from Katsena, was still sufficient to inspire me with 
the hope that I might succeed in securing the friendship of the 
more influential chiefs of these regions, and in the evening of 
the last day of August I went on board of my small craft, and 
passed there a very comfortable night. The river, during the 
time of my residence in the place, had risen considerably, and 
soon promised to open the communication by the western 
branch. 

Thursday, September 1st. After a good deal of delay, we 
at length began our voyage about a quarter before eight in the 
morning ; and I felt my spirits greatly cheered when I found 
myself floating on this river, or backwater, which was to carry 
me all the way to the harbor of Timbuktu. 

[This voyage to Kabara, the harbor of Timbuktu, was not 
attended with any remarkable incident. It lasted till the 5th 
of September.] 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Arrival at Kabara — Description of the place — Visit of the Sheikh's bro- 
ther — Entrance into Timbuktu — Dr. Earth shut up in his house — Ex- 
actions of the Sheikh's brother — Threatened attack on Dr. Bartk"s 
house — He arms his household, and his enemies desist from the attack 
— Dispute on Religion — Letter from the Sheikh El Bakay — Grand 
Festival of the Mohammedans — Sickness of Dr. Barth. 

September bth, 1853. The day broke which, after so 
many months' exertion, was to carry me to the harbor of Tim- 
buktu. We started at a tolerably early hour, crossing the 
broad sheet of the river, first in a northeasterly, then in an al- 
most northerly direction, till finding ourselves opposite the 
small hamlet Tasakal, mentioned by Caillie, we began to keep 



415 

along the windings of the northern bank, which, from its low 
character, presented a very varying appearance, while a creek, 
separating from the trunk, entered the low ground. The river, 
a month or two later in the season, inundates the whole coun- 
try to a great distance, but the magnificent stream, with the 
exception of a few fishing-boats, now seemed almost tenant- 
less, the only objects which in the present reduced state of the 
country animated the scenery, being a number of large boats 
lying at anchor in front of us near the shore of the village 
Korome. But the whole character of the river was of the 
highest interest to me, as it disclosed some new features for 
which I had not been prepared ; for, while the water on which 
Korome was situated formed only by far the smaller branch, 
the chief river, about three quarters of a mile in breadth, took 
its direction to the southeast, separated from the former by a 
group of islands called Day, at the headland of which lies the 
islet of Tarasham. 

It was with an anxious feeling that I bade farewell to that 
noble river as it turned away from us, not being sure whether 
it would fall to my lot to explore its farther course, although 
it was my firm intention at the time to accomplish this task if 
possible. Thus we entered the branch of Korome, keeping 
along the grass which here grows in the river to a great extent, 
till we reached the village, consisting of nothing but tempo- 
rary huts of reed, which, in the course of a few weeks, with 
the rising of the waters, were to be removed farther inland. 
Notwithstanding its frail character, this poor little village was 
interesting on account of its wharves, where a number of boats 
were repairing. The master of our own craft residing here 
(for all the boatmen on this river are serfs, or nearly in that 
condition), we were obliged to halt almost an hour and a half; 
but in order not to excite the curiosity of the people, I thought 
it prudent to remain in my boat. But even there I was in- 
commoded with a great number of visitors, who were very 
anxious to know exactly what sort of person I was. It was 
here that we heard the unsatisfactory news that El Bakay, 
whose name as a just and intelligent chief alone had given me 



416 ARRIVAL AT KA r BARA. 

confidence to undertake this journey, was absent at the time in 
Gundam, whither he had gone in order to settle a dispute 
which had arisen between the Tawarek and the Berabish ; and 
as from the very beginning, when I was planning my journey 
to Timbuktu, I had based the whole confidence of my success 
upon the noble and trustworthy character which was attributed 
to the Sheikh el Bakay by my informants, this piece of infor- 
mation produced a serious effect upon me. 

At length we set out again on our interesting voyage, fol- 
lowing first a southeasterly, then a northeasterly direction 
along this branch, which, for the first three miles and a half, 
retained some importance, being here about 200 yards wide, 
when the channel divided a second time, the more considerable 
branch turning off toward Yelluwa and Zegalia, and other 
smaller hamlets situated on the islands of Day, while the 
water-course which we followed dwindled away to a mere 
narrow meadow-water, bearing the appearance of an artificial 
ditch or canal. The navigation of this water became so diffi- 
cult, that all my people were obliged to leave the boat, which 
with great difficulty was dragged on by the boatmen, who 
themselves entered the water and lifted and pushed it along 
with their hands. But before we reached Kabara, which is 
situated on the slope of a sandy eminence, the narrow and 
shallow channel widened to a tolerably large basin of circular 
shape ; and here, in front of the town, seven good-sized boats 
were lying, giving to the whole place some little life. Later 
in the season, when the channel becomes navigable for larger 
boats, the intercourse becomes much more animated. During 
the palmy days of the Songhay empire, an uninterrupted in- 
tercourse took place between Gagho and Timbuktu on the one 
side, and between Timbuktu and Jenni on the other, and a 
numerous fleet was always lying here under the orders of an 
admiral of great power and influence. The basin has such a 
regular shape that it looks as if it were artificial ; but, never- 
theless, it may be the work of nature, as Kabara from the most 
ancient times has been the harbor of Timbuktu, and at times 



DESCRIPTION OP THE PLACE. 417 

seems even to have been of greater importance than the latter 
place itself. 

At length we lay to, and sending two of my people on shore 
in order to obtain quarters, I followed them as soon as possible, 
when I was informed that they had procured a comfortable 
dwelling for me ; but the night which I passed here was a very 
uncomfortable one, on account of the number of mosquitoes 
which infest the whole place. 

Thus broke the 6th of September— a very important day for 
me, as it was to determine the kind of reception I was to meet 
with in this quarter. But notwithstanding the uncertainty of 
my prospects, I felt cheerful and full of confidence ; and, as I 
was now again firmly established on dry soil, I went early in 
the morning to see my horse, which had successfully crossed 
all the different branches lying between Kabara and Sarayiimo ; 
but I was sorry to find him in a very weak and emaciated 
condition. 

While traversing the village I was surprised at the many 
clay buildings which are to be seen here, amounting to between 
150 and 200 ; however, these are not so much the dwellings 
of the inhabitants of Kabara themselves, but serve rather as 
magazines for storing up the merchandise belonging to the 
people of, and the foreign merchants residing in, Timbuktu 
and Sansandi. There are two small market-places, one con- 
taining about twelve stalls or sheds, where all sorts of articles 
are sold, the other being used exclusively for meat. Although 
it was still early in the day, women were already busy boiling 
rice, which is sold in small portions, or made up into thin cakes 
boiled with bulanga and sold for five shells each. Almost all 
the inhabitants, who may muster about 2000, are Songhay ; 
but the authorities belong to the tribe of the Fiilbe, whose 
principal wealth consists of cattle, the only exception being 
the office of the inspector of the harbor — a very ancient office, 
repeatedly mentioned by A'hmed Baba— which at present is in 
the hands of Miilay Kasim, a sherif whose family is said to 
have emigrated originally from the Gharb or Morocco, but who 
has become so Sudanized that he has forgotten all his former 

2b 



418 INTERVIEW WITH Sl'm A r LAWA'TE. 

knowledge of Arabic. On account of the cattle being driven 
to a great distance, I found that milk was very scarce and 
dear. The inhabitants cultivate a little rice, but have some 
cotton, besides bamia, or CorcJiorus olitorius, and melons of 
various descriptions. 

Having returned to my quarters from my walk through the 
town, I had to distribute several presents to some people whom 
El Walati chose to represent as his brothers and friends. Hav- 
ing then given to himself a new, glittering, black tobe of Nupe 
manufacture, a new "haf," and the white bernus which I wore 
myself, I at length prevailed upon him to set out for the town, 
in order to obtain protection for me ; for as yet I was an out- 
law in the country, and any ruffian who suspected my character 
might have slain me, without scarcely anybody caring anything 
about it ; and circumstances seemed to assume a very unfavor- 
able aspect : for there was a great movement among the Tawa- 
rek in the neighborhood, when it almost seemed as if some 
news of my real character had transpired. 

My messengers not returning at the appointed time from 
their errand to the town, I had at length retired to rest in the 
evening, when shortly before midnight they arrived, together 
with Sidi A'lawate, the Sheikh El Bakay's brother, and seve- 
ral of his followers, who took up their quarters on the terrace 
of my house in order to be out of the reach of the musquitoes ; 
and after they had been regaled with a good supper, which 
had been provided beforehand by some of the townspeople, I 
went to pay my respects to them. 

It was an important interview ; for, although this was not 
the person for whom my visit was specially intended, and whose 
favorable or unfavorable disposition would influence the whole 
success of my arduous undertaking, yet for the present I was 
entirely in his hands, and all depended upon the manner in 
which he received me. Now my two messengers had only dis- 
closed to himself personally that I was a Christian, while at 
the same time they had laid great stress upon the circumstance 
that, although a Christian, I was under the special protection 
of the Sultan of Stambul ; and Sidi A'lawate inquired there- 
fore of me, with great earnestness and anxiety, as to the pecu- 




1420) 



ENTERS TIMBUKTU. 421 

liar manner in which I enjoyed the protection of that great 
Mohammedan sovereign. 

Now, it was most unfortunate for me that I had no direct 
letter from that quarter. Even the firman, with which we had 
been provided by the Basha of Tripoli, had been delivered to 
the governor for whom it was destined, so that at the time I 
had nothing with me to show but a firman, which I had used 
on my journey in Egypt, and which of course had no especial 
relation to the case in question. The want of such a general 
letter of protection from the Sultan of Constantinople, which 
I had solicited with so much anxiety to be sent after me, was 
in the sequel the chief cause of my difficulty and dangerous 
position in Timbuktu ; for, furnished with such a letter, it 
would have been easy to have imposed silence upon my adver- 
saries and enemies there, and especially upon the merchants 
from Morocco, who were instigated by the most selfish jealousy 
to raise all sorts of intrigues against me. 

Having heard my address with attention, although I was 
not able to establish every point so clearly as I could have 
wished, the sheikh's brother promised me protection, and de- 
sired me to be without any apprehension with regard to my 
safety ; and thus terminated my first interview with this man, 
who, on the whole, inspired me with a certain degree of confi- 
dence, although I was glad to think that he was not the man 
upon whom I had to rely for my safety. Having then had a 
farther chat with his telamid, or pupils, with whom I passed 
for a Mohammedan, I took leave of the party, and retired to 
rest in the close apartments of the lower story of the house. 

Wednesday, September *lth. After a rather restless night, 
the day broke when I was at length to enter Timbuktu ; but 
we had a good deal of trouble in performing this last short 
stage of our journey, deprived as we were of beasts of burden ; 
for the two camels which the people had brought from the 
town in order to carry my boxes, proved much to weak, and 
it was only after a long delay that we were able to procure 
eleven donkeys for the transport of all my luggage. Mean- 
while, the rumor of a traveller of importance having arrived, 
36 



422 ur-imma'ndes. 

had spread far and wide, and several inhabitants of the place 
sent a breakfast both for myself and my protector. Just at the 
moment when we were at length mounting our horses, it seemed 
as if the Tarki chief Kneha was to cause me some more trouble, 
for in the morning he had sent me a vessel of butter, in order 
thus to acquire a fair claim upon my generosity ; and, coming 
now for his reward, he was greatly disappointed when he heard 
the present had fallen into the hands of other people. 

It was ten o'clock when our cavalcade at length put itself 
in motion, ascending the sand-hills which rise close behind 
the village of Kabara, and which, to my great regret, had 
prevented my obtaining a view of the town from the top of our 
terrace. The contrast of this desolate scenery with the charac- 
ter of the fertile banks of the river which I had just left behind 
was remarkable. The whole tract bore decidedly the charac- 
ter of a desert, although the path was thickly lined on both 
sides with thorny bushes and stunted trees, which were being 
cleared away in some places, in order to render the path less 
obstructed and more safe, as the Tawarek never fail to infest 
it, and at present were particularly dreaded on account of their 
having killed a few days previously three petty Tawati traders' 
on their way to A'rawan. It is from the unsafe character of 
this short road between the harbor and the town, that the spot, 
about half way between Kabara and Timbuktu, bears the re- 
markable name of " Ur-immandes, " " he does not hear," mean- 
ing the place where the cry of the unfortunate victim is not 
heard from either side. 

Having traversed two sunken spots designated by especial 
names, where, in certain years, when the river rises to an un- 
usual height, as happened in the course of the same winter, the 
water of the inundation enters, and occasionally forms even a 
navigable channel ; and leaving on one side the talha-tree of 
the Weli Salah, covered with innumerable rags of the super- 
stitious natives, who expect to be generously rewarded by their 
saint with a new shirt, we approached the town ; but its dark 
masses of clay not being illuminated by bright sunshine, for 
the sky was thickly overcast, and the atmosphere filled with 



ENTRANCE INTO TIMBUKTU. 423 

sand, were scarcely to be distinguished from the sand rubbish 
heaped all round ; and there was no opportunity for looking 
attentively about, as a body of people were coming toward us, 
in order to pay their compliments to the stranger, and bid him 
welcome. This was a very important moment, as, if they had 
felt the slightest suspicion with regard to my character, they 
might easily have prevented my entering the town at all, and 
thus even endangered my life. 

I therefore took the hint of A'lawate, who recommended me 
to make a start in advance, in order to anticipate the salute of 
these people who had come to meet us ; and, putting my horse 
to a gallop, and gun in hand, I galloped up to meet them, when 
I was received with many salams. But a circumstance occurred 
which might have proved fatal, not only to my enterprise, but 
even to my own personal safety, as there was a man among the 
group who addressed me in Turkish, which I had almost 
entirely forgotten ; so that I could with difficulty make a suit- 
able answer to his compliment ; but, avoiding farther indiscreet 
questions, I pushed on, in order to get under safe cover. 

Having then traversed the rubbish which has accumulated 
round the ruined clay wall of the town, and left oil one side a 
row of dirty reed huts which encompass the whole of the place, 
we entered the narrow streets and lanes, or as the people of 
Timbuktu say, the tijeraten, which scarcely allowed two horses 
to proceed abreast. But I was not a little surprised at the 
populous and wealthy character which this quarter of the town, 
the Sane-Giingu, exhibited, many of the houses rising- to the 
height of two stories, and in their facade evincing even an 
attempt at architectural adornment. Thus, taking a more 
westerly turn, and followed by a numerous troop of people, we 
passed the house of the Sheikh El Bakay, where I was desired 
to fire a pistol ; but as I had all my arms loaded with ball, I 
prudently declined to do so, and left it to one of my people to 
do honor to the house of our host. We thus reached the house 
on the other side of the street, which was destined for my resi- 
dence, and I was glad when I found myself safely in my new- 
quarters. 



424 RESIDENCE IN TIMBUKTU. 

It had been arranged that, during the absence of the Sheikh 
el Bakay, whose special guest I professed to be, my house 
should be locked up and no one allowed to pay me a visit. 
However, while my luggage was being got in, numbers of 
people gained access to the house, and came to pay me their 
compliments, and while they scrutinized my luggage, part of 
which had rather a foreign appearance, some of them enter- 
tained a doubt as to my nationality. But of course it could 
never have been my intention to have impressed these people 
with the belief of my being a Mohammedan ; for having been 
known as a Christian all along my road as far as Libtako, with 
which province the Arabs of A'zawad keep up a continual in- 
tercourse, although there the people would scarcely believe that 
I was a European, the news of my real character could not 
fail soon to transpire ; and it was rather a fortunate circum- 
stance that, notwithstanding our extremely slow progress and 
our roundabout direction, the news had not anticipated us. I 
had been obliged to adopt the character of a Mohammedan in 
order to traverse with some degree of safety the country of the 
Tawarek, and to enter the town of Timbuktu, which was in the 
hands of the fanatical Fiilbe of Hamda-Allahi, while I had not 
yet obtained the protection of the chief whose name and char- 
acter alone had inspired me with sufficient confidence to enter 
upon this enterprise. 

Thus I had now reached the object of my arduous under- 
taking ; but it was apparent from the very first that I should 
not enjoy the triumph of having overcome the difficulties of the 
journey in quiet and repose. The continuous excitement of the 
protracted struggle, and the uncertainty whether I should suc- 
ceed in my undertaking, had sustained my weakened frame till 
I actually reached this city ; but as soon as I was there, and 
almost at the very moment when I entered my house, I was 
seized with a severe attack of fever. Yet never were presence 
of mind and bodily energy more required ; for the first night 
which I passed in Timbuktu was disturbed by feelings of alarm 
and serious anxiety. 

On the morning of the 8th of September, the first news I 



PRESENTS TO SIDl' A'LAWA'TE. 425 

heard was that Hammadi, the rival and enemy of El Bakay, 
had informed the Fiilbe or Fullan that a Christian had entered 
the town, and that, in consequence, they had come to the deter- 
mination of killing him. However, these rumors did not cause 
me any great alarm, as I entertained the false hope that I 
might rely on the person who, for the time, had undertaken to 
protect me ; but my feeling of security was soon destroyed, this 
very man turning out my greatest tormentor. I had destined 
for him a very handsome gift, consisting of a fine cloth berniis, 
a cloth kaftan, and two tobes, one of silk and the other of 
indigo-dyed cotton, besides some smaller articles ; but he was 
by no means satisfied with these, and peremptorily raised the 
present to the following formidable proportions : 

Shells. 

Two blue bernuses of the best quality, worth 100,000 

One kaftan 40,000 

Two waistcoats ; one red and one blue 15,000 

Two silk tobes 35,000 

Two Nupe tobes 30,000 

A pair of small pistols, with 7 pounds of fine powder 

Ten Spanish dollars 

Two English razors, and many other articles 

While levying this heavy contribution upon me, in order to 
take from the affair its vexatious character, my host stated that 
as their house and their whole establishment were at my dis- 
posal, so my property ought to be at theirs. But even this 
amount of property did not satisfy him, nor were his preten- 
sions limited to this ; for the following day he exacted an al- 
most equal amount of considerable presents from me, such as 
two cloth kaftans, two silk hamall or sword-belts, three other 
silk tobes, one of the species called jellabi, one of that called 
harir, and the third of the kind called filfil, one Nupe tobe, 
three tiirkedis, a small six-barrelled pistol, and many other 
things. He promised me, however, on his part, that he would 
not only make presents of several of these articles to the Ta- 
warek chiefs, but that he would also send a handsome gift to 
the governor of Hamda-Allahi ; but this latter condition at 
38* 



426 VIEW FROM THE TERRACE. 

least, although the most important, considering that the town 
was formally subjected to the supremacy of the ruler of Ma- 
sina, was never fulfilled ; and although I was prepared to sacri- 
fice all I had for the purposes of my journey, yet it was by no 
means agreeable to give up such a large proportion of my very 
limited property to a younger brother of the chief under whose 
protection I was to place myself. 

Thus my first day in Timbuktu passed away, preparing me 
for a great deal of trouble and anxiety which I should have to 
go through ; even those who professed to be my friends treat- 
ing me with so little consideration. 

However, the second day of my residence here was more 
promising. I recefved visits from several respectable people, 
and I began to enter with spirit upon my new situation, and 
to endeavor by forbearance to accommodate myself to the cir- 
cumstances under which I was placed. The state of my health 
also seemed to improve, and I felt a great deal better than on 
the preceding day. 

I was not allowed to stir about, but was confined within the 
walls of my house. In order to obviate the effect of this want 
of exercise as much as possible, to enjoy fresh air, and at the 
same time to become familiar with the principal features of 
the town, through which I was not allowed to move about at 
pleasure, I ascended as often as possible the terrace of my 
house. This afforded an excellent view over the northern 
quarters of the town. On the north was the massive mosque 
of Sankore, which had just been restored to all its former gran- 
deur through the influence of the Sheikh el Bakay, and gave 
the whole place an imposing character. Neither the mosque 
Sidi Yahia, nor the " great mosque," or Jingere-ber, was seen 
from this point ; but toward the east the view extended over a 
wide expanse of the desert, and toward the south the elevated 
mansions of the Ghadamsiye merchants were visible. The 
style of the buildings was various. I could see clay houses of 
different characters, some low and unseemly, others rising with 
a second story in front to greater elevation, and making even 
an attempt at architectural ornament, the whole being inter- 



24 

§ 






> 



a 



^ 
* 

* 



fe4 




(-127) 



429 

rupted by a few round huts of matting. The sight of this 
spectacle afforded me sufficient matter of interest, although, 
the streets being very narrow, only little was to be seen of the 
intercourse carried on in them, with the exception of the small 
market in the northern quarter, which was exposed to view on 
account of its situation on the slope of the sand-hills, which, 
in course of time, have accumulated round the mosque. 

But while the terrace of my house served to make me well 
acquainted with the character of the town, it had also the dis- 
advantage of exposing me fully to the gaze of the passers-by, 
so that I could only slowly, and with many interruptions, suc- 
ceed in making a sketch of the scene thus offered to my view. 
At the same time I became aware of the great inaccuracy 
which characterizes the view of the town as given by M. Cail- 
lie ; still, on the whole, the character of the single dwellings 
was well represented by that traveller, the only error being 
that in his representation the whole town seems to consist of 
scattered and quite isolated houses, while in reality the streets 
are entirely shut in, as the dwellings form continuous and un- 
interrupted rows. But it must be taken into account that Tim- 
buktu, at the time of Caillie's visit, was not so well off as it 
is at present, having been overrun by the Fiilbe the preceding 
year, and he had no opportunity of making a drawing on the 
spot. 

Although I was greatly delighted at the pleasant place of 
retreat for refreshing my spirits and invigorating my body by 
a little exercise which the terrace afforded me, I was disgusted 
by the custom which prevails in the houses like that in which I 
was lodged, of using the terrace as a sort of closet ; and I 
had great difficulty in preventing my guide, Ammer el Walati, 
who still staid with me and made the terrace his usual residence, 
from indulging in this filthy practice. 

Being anxious to impart to my friends in Europe the news 
of my safe arrival in this far-famed town, I was busily em- 
ployed in writing letters, which gave fresh impulse to my 
energy. My tormentor Sidi A'lawate himself seemed anxious 
to rouse my spirits, which he could not but be couscious of 



430 PURCHASE OF CALICO. 

having contributed a great deal to depress, by sending me 
word that he himself would undertake to accompany me on 
my home journey, as he intended making the pilgrimage to 
Mekka ; but, having once had full opportunity of judging of 
the character of this man, I placed but little confidence in his 
words. 

Meanwhile, I began to provide what was most necessary 
for my comfort, and bought for myself and my people a piece 
of good bleached calico, " shigge," or "sehen hindi," as it 
is called here, for 13,500 shells, and three pieces of unbleached 
calico for 8000 each. At the same time I sent several arti- 
cles into the market, in order to obtain a supply of the cur- 
rency of the place, 3000 shells being reckoned equal to one 
Spanish dollar. 

Thus I had begun to make myself a little more comfortable, 
when suddenly, on the morning of the 10th, while I was suffer- 
ing from another attack of fever, I was excited by the report 
being circulated that the party opposed to my residence in the 
town was arming in order to attack me in my house. Now I 
must confess that, notwithstanding the profession of sincere 
friendship made to me by Sidi A'lawate, I am inclined to be- 
lieve that he himself was not free from treachery, and, perhaps, 
was in some respects implicated in this manoeuvre, as he evi- 
dently supposed that, on the first rumor of such an attack 
being intended, I should abandon my house, or at least my 
property, when he might hope to get possession underhand of 
at least a good portion of the latter before the arrival of his 
brother, whom he knew to be a straight-forward man, and who 
would not connive at such intrigues. With this view, I have 
no doubt, he sent a female servant to my house, advising me 
to deposit all my goods in safety with the Taleb el Wafi, as 
the danger which threatened me was very great ; but this 
errand had no other effect than to rouse my spirits. I armed 
immediately, and ordered my servants to do the same, and my 
supposed protector was not a little astonished when he him- 
self came shortly afterward with the Walati (who, no doubt, 
was at the bottom of the whole affair) and found me ready to 



si'di a'lawa'te. 431 

defend myself and ray property, and to repulse any attack 
that might be made upon my residence, from whatever quarter 
it might proceed. He asked me whether I meant to fight 
the whole population of the town, uttering the words "giiwet 
e' Rum," "strength of the Christians;" and protested that 
I was quite safe under his protection, and had nothing to fear, 
and certainly, for the moment, my energetic conduct had 
.dispersed the clouds that might have been impending over 
my head. 

But, notwithstanding his repeated protestations of sincere 
friendship, and although he confirmed with his own mouth 
what I had already heard from other people, that he himself 
was to accompany me on my return journey as far as Bdrnu, 
he did not discontinue for a moment his importunity in beg- 
ging for more presents day by day. 

One day he called on me in company with his principal 
pupils, and earnestly recommended me to change my religion, 
and from an unbeliever to become a true believer. Feeling 
myself strong enough in arguments to defend my own reli- 
gious principles, I challenged him to demonstrate to me the 
superiority of his creed, telling him that in that case I should 
not fail to adopt it, but not till then. Upon this he and his 
pupils began with alacrity a spirited discussion, in the firm 
hope that they would soon be able to overcome my arguments; 
but after a little while they found them rather too strong, and 
were obliged to give in without making any farther progress 
at the time in their endeavors to persuade me to turn Moham- 
medan. This incident improved my situation in an extraor- 
dinary degree, by basing my safety on the sincere esteem 
which several of the most intelligent of the inhabitants con- 
tracted for me. 

While thus gaining a more favorable position, even in the 
eyes of this unprincipled man, I had the pleasure of receiving 
a letter from his elder, more intelligent, and straightforward 
brother, the Sheikh el Bakay himself, late in the evening of 
the 13th, full of the most assuring promises that I should be 
quite safe under his protection, and that he would soon arrive 



432, LETTER TO EL BAKA'Y. 

to relieve me from my unsatisfactory position. And although 
I felt very unwell all this time, and especially the very day 
that I received this message, I did not lose a moment in send- 
ing the sheikh a suitable answer, wherein I clearly set forth all 
the motives which had induced me to visit this city, in con- 
formity with the direct wish of the British government, whose 
earnest desire it was to open friendly intercourse with all the 
chiefs and princes of the earth ; mentioning among other Mo- 
hammedan chiefs with whom such a relation existed, the Sul- 
tan 'Abd el Mejid, Miila 'Abd e' Rahman, and the Imam of 
Maskat ; and whose attention the region of the Great River 
(Niger), together with Timbuktu, had long attracted. At 
the same time I assured him that his own fame as a just and 
highly intelligent man, which I had received from my friends 
far to the east, in the heart of Negroland, had inspired me with 
full confidence that I should be safe under his protection. In 
consequence of the views which I set forth in this letter, I was 
so fortunate as to gain the lasting esteem of this excellent man, 
who was so much pleased with the contents of it that on its 
arrival in Giindam, where he was at the time, he read it to all 
the principal men, Tawarek, Songhay, and even Fullan, in 
whose company he was staying. 

Meanwhile, in order to obtain the friendship and to secure 
the interest of other and more selfish people, I gave away a 
great many presents ; but, from what I learned afterward, I 
had reason to suspect that they did not all reach the persons 
for whom they were intended. Most of them remained in the 
possession of the greedy Weled A'mmer Walati, through 
whose hands they had unfortunately to pass. 

The day that I received the important message from the 
sheikh has been impressed on my memory with so much greater 
force, as it was the grand festival of the Mohammedans, or the 
'Aid el Kebir. Here also in this city, so far remote from the 
centre of Mohammedan worship, the whole population, on this 
important day, said their prayers outside the town ; but there 
being no paramount chief to give unity to the whole of the fes- 
tive arrangements, the ceremonies exhibited no striking fea- 



AGAIN ATTACKED WITH FEVER. 433 

tures, and the whole went off very tamely, only small parties 
of from six to ten persons forming groups for joining in prayer, 
while the whole procession comprised scarcely more than thirty 
horses. 

After my fever had abated for a day or two it returned with 
greater violence on the 17 th, and I felt at times extremely un- 
well and very weak, and in my feverish state was less inclined 
to bear with tranquillity and equanimity all the exactions and 
contributions levied upon me by Sidi A'lawate. We had a 
thunder-storm almost every day, followed now and then by a 
tolerable quantity of rain ; the greatest fall of rain, according 
to the information which I was able to gather, annually occur- 
ring during the month of September, a phenomenon in entire 
harmony with the northerly latitude of the place. This hu- 
midity, together with the character of the open hall in which I 
used to pass the night as well as the day, increased my indis- 
position not a little ; but the regard for my security did not 
allow me to seek shelter in the store-room wherein I had 
placed my luggage, and which, being at the back of the hall, 
was well-protected against cold, and, as it seemed at least, even 
against wet. For, not to speak of the oppressive atmosphere 
and almost total darkness which prevailed in that close place, 
in taking up my residence there I should have exposed myself 
to the danger of a sudden attack, while from the hall where I 
was staying I was enabled to observe everything which was 
going on in my house ; and through the screen which protected 
the opening, close by the side of my couch, I could observe 
everybody that entered my yard long before they saw me. For 
this reason I preferred this place even to the room on the ter- 
race, although the latter had the advantage of better air. I 
may observe that these upper rooms in general form the pri- 
vate residence of most of the people in the town who have the 
luxury of such an upper story. 

37 2c 



434 MY 0"\VN QUARTERS. 



CHAPTER XXIY. 

Arrival of the Sheikh — Present from him — Interview with the Sheikh — 
Pistol — Conversation about Major Laing — Presents to the Sheikh — 
Effect of firing off a six-shooter — Intrigues and troubles — Manners — 
Preparations for a residence in the desert. 

Monday, September 26th. About three o'clock in the morn- 
ing, while I was lying restlessly on my couch, endeavoring in 
vain to snatch a moment's sleep, the Sheikh Sidi A'hmed el 
Bakay arrived. The music, which was immediately struck up 
in front of his house by the women, was ill adapted to procure 
me rest ; while the arrival of my protector, on whose disposi- 
tion and power the success of my whole undertaking and my 
own personal safety fully depended, excited my imagination in 
the highest degree, and thus contributed greatly to increase 
my feverish state. 

The following day I was so ill as to be quite unable to pay 
my respects to my protector, who sent me a message begging 
me to quiet myself, as I might rest assured that nothing but 
my succumbing to illness could prevent me from safely return- 
ing to my native home. Meanwhile, as a proof of his hospi-' 
table disposition, he sent me a handsome present, consisting 
of two oxen, two sheep, two large vessels of butter, one camel 
load, or "suniye," of rice, and another of negro corn, cau- 
tioning me, at the same time, against eating any food which 
did not come from his own house. In order to cheer my 
spirits he at once begged me to choose between the three roads 
by which I wanted to return home — either through the coun- 
try of the Fiilbe, or in a boat on the river, or, by land, through 
the district of the Tawarek. 

As from the first, I had been fully aware that neither the 
disposition of the natives, and especially that of the present 



ANNIVERSARY OF MR. OVERWEG's DEATH. 435 

rulers of the country, the Fulbe, nor the state of my means, 
would allow me to proceed westward, and as I felt persuaded 
that laying down the course of the Niger from Timbuktu to 
Say would far outweigh in importance a journey through the 
upper country toward the Senegal, I was firm in desiring from 
the beginning to be allowed to visit Gogd. For, not deeming 
it prudent, in order to avoid creating unnecessary suspicion, to 
lay too great stress upon navigating the river, I preferred put- 
ting forward the name of the capital of the Songhay empire, 
as in visiting that place I was sure that I should see at least 
the greater part of the river, while at the same time I should 
come into contact with the Tawarek, who are the ruling tribe 
throughout its whole course. 

But the generous offer of my friend was rather premature ; 
and if at that time I had known that I was still to linger in 
this quarter for eight months longer, in my then feeble con- 
dition ; I should scarcely have been able to support such an 
idea; but fortunately Providence does not reveal to man what 
awaits him, and he toils on without rest in the dark. 

Tuesday, September 2*lth This was the anniversary of the 
death of Mr. Overweg, my last and only European companion, 
whom I had now outlived a whole year ; and whom, consider- 
ing the feeble state of my health at this time, while my mind 
was oppressed with the greatest anxiety, I was too likely soon 
to follow to the grave. Nevertheless, feeling a little better 
when rising from my simple couch in the morning, and confi- 
ding in the protection tendered me by a man whose straight- 
forward character was the theme of general admiration, and 
which plainly appeared in the few lines which I had received 
from him, I fondly cherished the hope that this day next year 
it might be my good fortune to have fairly embarked upon my 
home journey from Negroland, and perhaps not to be far from 
home itself. I therefore, with cheerful spirit, made myself 
ready for my first audience, and leaving my other presents 
behind, and taking only a small six-barreled pistol with me, 
which I was to present to the sheikh, I proceeded to his house, 
which was almost opposite my own, there intervening between 



43G FIRST INTERVIEW WITH THE SHEIKH. 

them only a narrow lane and a small square, where the sheikh 
had established his " msid," or daily place of prayer. A'hmed 
el Bakay, son of Sidi Mohammed, and grandson of s Sidi 
Mukhtar, of the tribe of the Kunta, was at that time a man 
of about fifty years of age, rather above the middle height, 
full proportioned, with a cheerful, intelligent, and almost Eu- 
ropean countenance, of a rather blackish complexion, with 
whiskers of tolerable length, intermingled with some gray hair, 
and with dark eyelashes. His dress consisted at the time of 
nothing but a black tobe, a fringed shawl thrown loosely over 
the head, and trowsers, both of the same color. 

I found my host in the small upper room on the terrace, in 
company with his young nephew, Mohammed ben Khottar, and 
two confidential pupils, and, at the very first glance which I 
obtained of him, I was agreeably surprised at finding a man 
whose countenance itself bore testimony to a straightforward 
and manly character ; both which qualities I had found so 
sadly wanting in his younger brother, Sidi A'lawate. Cheered 
by the expression of good-nature in his countenance as he 
rose from his seat to receive me, and, relieved from all anxiety, 
I paid him my compliments with entire confidence, and entered 
into a conversation, which was devoid of any affected and 
empty ceremonious phrases, but from the first moment was an 
unrestrained exchange of thoughts between two persons who, 
with great national diversity of manners and ideas, meet for 
the first time. 

The pistol, however, with which I presented him, soon di- 
rected our conversation to the subject of the superiority of 
Europeans in manufacturing skill, and in the whole scale of 
human existence ; and one of the first questions which my host 
put to me was, whether it was true, as the Rais (Major Laing) 
had informed his father, Sidi Mohammed, during his stay in 
A'zawad, that the capital of the British empire contained 
twenty times 100,000 people. 

I then learned to my great satisfaction, what I afterward 
found confirmed by the facts stated in Major Laing's corre- 
spondence — that this most enterprising but unfortunate travel- 



MAJOR LAING. 43? 

ler, having been plundered and almost killed by the Tawarek 
in the valley Ahennet, on his way from Tawat, was conducted 
by his guides to, and made a long stay at the camp or station 
of the sheikh's father, Sidi Mohammed, in the hillet Sidi el 
Mukhtar, the place generally called by Major Laing Beled 
Sidi Mohammed, but sometimes Beled Sidi Mooktar, the 
major being evidently puzzled as to these names, and apt to 
confound the then head of the family, Sidi Mohammed, with 
the ancestor Sidi Mukhtar, after whom that holy place has 
been called. It is situated half a day's journey from the fre- 
quented well Bel Mehan, on the great northerly road, but is at 
present deserted. 

We thus came to speak of Major Laing, here known under 
the name of E' Rais (the Major), the only Christian that my 
host and most of the people hereabouts had ever seen ; the 
French traveller, Rene Caillie, who traversed this tract in 1828, 
having, in his poor disguise, entirely escaped their observation, 
not to speak of the sailors Adams and Scott, who are said to 
have visited this place, although their narrative does not reveal 
a single trait which can be identified with its features. 

Major Laing, during the whole time of our intercourse, 
formed one of the chief topics of conversation, and my noble 
friend never failed to express his admiration, not only of the 
major's bodily strength, but of his noble and chivalrous char- 
acter. I made immediate inquiries with regard to Major 
Laing's papers, but unfortunately, not being provided with a 
copy of the blue book containing all the papers relating to 
that case, I had not the means of establishing all the points 
disputed. I only learned at the time none of those papers 
were in existence, although the sheikh himself told me that the 
major, while staying in A'zawad, had drawn up a map of the 
whole northerly part of the desert from Tawat as far south as 
. the hillet or the place of residence of his father. 

Meanwhile, while we were conversing about the fate of my 
precursor in the exploration of these regions, my host assured 
me repeatedly of my own perfect safety in the place, and pro- 
mised that he would send the most faithful of his followers, 
37* 



488 PRESENTS. — ILLNESS. 

Mohammed el 'Aish, with me to the Tawarek, from whence I 
might continue my journey in the company of my former com- 
panion. Such, I think, was really his intention at the time, 
but circumstances, which I am soon to detail, were to change 
all these premature plans. 

Having returned to my quarters I sent my host his present, 
which consisted of three Dermises, viz., one helali, or white 
silk or cotton mixed, and two of the finest cloth, one of green 
and the other of red color ; two cloth kaftans, one black and 
the other yellow; a carpet from Constantinople; four tobes, 
viz., one very rich, of the kind called "harfr," and bought 
for 30,000 shells, or twelve dollars, one of the kind called filfil, 
and two best black tobes ; twenty Spanish dollars in silver ; 
three black shawls, and several smaller articles, the whole 
amounting to the value of about £30. He then sent a mes- 
sage to me, expressing his thanks for the liberality of the go- 
vernment in whose service I was visiting him, and stating that 
he did not want anything more from me ; but he begged that 
after my safe return home I would not forget him, but would 
request her majesty's government to send him some good fire- 
arms and some Arabic books ; and I considered myself author- 
ized in assuring him that I had no doubt the English govern- 
ment would not fail to acknowledge his services, if he acted in 
a straightforward manner throughout. 

Pleasant and cheering as was this whole interview, never- 
theless, in consequence of the considerable excitement which it 
caused me in my weak state, I felt my head greatly affected ; 
and I was seized with a shivering fit about noon the following 
day, just as I was going to pay another visit to my friend. On 
the last day of September I entered into a rather warm dis- 
pute with A'lawate, whom I met at his brother's house, and 
whose ungenerous conduct I could not forget. My protector 
not possessing sufficient energy, and, in his position, not feel- 
ing independent enough to rebuke his brother for the trouble 
which he had caused me, begged me repeatedly to bear pa- 
tiently his importunities, though he was aware of my reasons 
for disliking him. On another occasion he made me fire off 



IMPENDING DANGER. 439 

tbe six-barrelled pistol in front of his house, before a numerous 
assemblage of people. This caused extraordinary excitement 
and astonishment among the people, and exercised a great in- 
fluence upon my future safety, as it made them believe that I 
had arms all over my person, and could fire as many times as 
I liked. 

Thus the month of September concluded satisfactorily and 
most auspiciously, as it seemed. For I had not only succeeded 
in reaching in safety this city, but I was also well received on 
the whole ; and the only question seemed to be how I was to 
return home by the earliest opportunity and the safest route. 
But all my prospects changed with the first of the ensuing 
month, when the difficulties of my situation increased, and all 
hopes of a speedy departure appeared to be at an end ; for in 
the afternoon of the first of October, a considerable troop of 
armed men, mustering about twenty muskets, arrived from 
Harnda-Allahi, the residence of the Shekho A'hmedu ben A'h- 
medu, to whose nominal sway the town of Timbuktu and the 
whole province has been subjected since the conquest of the 
town in the beginning of the year 1826. These people brought 
with them an order from the capital to drive me out of the 
town; and Hammadi, the nephew and rival of the Sheikh el 
Bakay, feeling himself strengthened by the arrival of such a 
force, availed himself of so excellent an opportunity of en- 
hancing his influence, and, in consequence, issued a proclama- 
tion to the inhabitants of the town, commanding them, in 
stringent terms, to attend to the orders of the emir, and, in 
the event of my offering resistance, not even to spare my life. 

There can scarcely be any doubt that my protector, as far as 
a man of a rather weak character was capable of any firm reso- 
lution, had intended to send me off by the very first opportu- 
nity that should offer ; but the order issued by the emir of 
Hamda-Allahi (to whose authority he was vehemently opposed), 
that I should be forthwith driven out of the town or slain, 
roused his spirit of opposition. He felt, too, that the diffi- 
culties of my leaving this place in safety were thus greatly 
augmented. All thoughts of my immediate departure were 



440 INTRIGUES. 

therefore set aside ; partly, no doubt, from regard to my se- 
curity, but much more from an anxious desire to show the Ful- 
lan, or Fiilbe, that he was able to keep me here, notwithstand- 
ing their hostile disposition and their endeavors to the con- 
trary. There were, besides, the intrigues of the Walati, my 
guide on the journey from Yagha, who, finding that the sheikh 
did not approve of his dishonest conduct toward me, endea- 
vored to get me out of his hands, in order that he might deal 
with me as he liked. My broker, too, 'All el A'geren, seeing 
the difficulties of my situation, gave me entirely up, making 
his own safety the only object of his thoughts. 

The sheikh, when he had fully understood what I had told 
him with regard to the power and the political principles of 
the sovereign of Great Britain, had determined to write a letter 
with his own hand, expressing his satisfaction that I had come 
to pay him my compliments, and in order to endeavor to coun- 
teract the discouraging effects produced by the account of 
Major Laing's death, and if possible to obtain for himself a 
few presents. This letter, it was understood in the beginning, 
I myself should take with me ; but in the evening of the third 
of October, I suddenly, to my great amazement, received the 
intelligence that I was to send my man, 'All A'geren, to Gha- 
dames or Tripoli with this letter, accompanying it with a note 
from my own hand, while I myself remained behind, as a kind 
of hostage, in Timbuktu, until the articles which the Sheikh el 
Bakay had written for were received. But I was not to be 
treated in this way by intrigues of my own people ; and the 
following morning I sent a simple protest to the sheikh, stating 
that as for himself he might do just as he liked, and if he chose 
to keep me as a prisoner or hostage he might do so as long as 
he thought fit, but that he must not expect to receive so much 
as a needle from the government that had sent me until I my- 
self should have returned in safety. My host, too, had just 
before intimated to me that it would be best to deliver my 
horse and my gun into his hands ; but I sent him an answer 
that neither the one nor the other should leave my house until 
my head had left my shoulders. It was rather remarkable that 



INTRIGUES SUCCESSFULLY OVERCOME. 441 

a person of so mean a character as the Walati should for a 
moment gain the upper hand of a man of such an excellent 
disposition as the sheikh ; but it was quite natural that this 
clever rogue should continually incite Sidi A'lawate to make 
new demands upon my small store of valuable articles. 

Meanwhile, while I was thus kept in a constant state of ex- 
citement, I was not free from anxiety in other respects. A 
thunderstorm, accompanied by the most plentiful rain which I 
had experienced during my stay in this place, had in the after- 
noon of the 3d October inundated my house, and, breaking 
through the wall of my store-room, had damaged the whole of 
my luggage, my books, and medicines, as well as my presents 
and articles of exchange. But my situation was soon to im- 
prove, as the sheikh became aware of the faithless and despi- 
cable character of my former companion and guide ; and while 
he ordered the latter to fetch my camels from A'ribinda, which 
it was now but too apparent he had sold on his own account 
instead of having them taken care of for me, he informed me 
of what had come to his knowledge of the Walati 's previous 
character and disreputable habits. 

The Emir of Hamda-Allahi's sending a force to Timbuktu 
in order to dispose of me, with the assistance of the inhabitants 
of that town, without paying the slightest regard to the opinion 
of my protector, had caused a considerable reaction in the 
whole relation of the sheikh to the townspeople, and he had 
made up his mind to pitch his camp outside the city, in order 
to convince the inhabitants, and the Fullan in particular, that 
he did not depend upon them, but had mightier friends and a 
more powerful spell upon which he could safely rely. He had 
even, while still absent in Giindam, opened communication with 
A'wab, the chief of the Tademekket, to this effect. 

But all these proceedings required more energy and a more 
warlike character than, I am sorry to say, my friend and pro- 
tector actually possessed ; and our adversaries were so busy, 
that, in the night of the 9th, owing to the arrival of a party of 
Tawarek, who were well known not to be friendly disposed 
toward him, he was so intimidated that at two o'clock in the 



442 ENCAMPMENT IN THE DESERT. 

morning he himself came to my house, rousing us from our 
sleep, and requesting us most urgently to keep watch, as he was 
afraid that something was going on against me. We therefore 
kept a constant look-out the whole night on our terrace, and 
seeing that the rear of our house was in a partial state of 
decay, facilitating an attack in that quarter, we set to work 
early in the morning repairing the wall and barricading it with 
thorny bushes. The artisans of the town were so afraid of the 
party hostile to me, who were the nominal rulers, that no one 
would undertake the task of repairing my house. However, 
the more intelligent natives of the place did all in their power 
to prevent my learned friend from leaving the town, as they 
felt sure that such a proceeding would be the commencement 
of troubles. The consequence was that we did not get off on 
the 10th, although the sheikh had sent his wife and part of his 
effects away the preceding night, and it was not till a little 
before noon the following day that we actually left the town. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



Dr. Barth and the Sheikh el Bakay go to reside at a camp outside of 
Timbuktu — Friendly disposition of the Sheikh — Disputes in his family 
— Sidi A'lawate tries to convert Dr. Barth to Mohammedanism — Return 
to the city — More rascalities of the Arab Walati — Description of Tim- 
buktu — Excursion to Kabara and residence in camp. 

October l\th. This was an important moment for myself, as, 
with the exception of an occasional visit to the sheikh, who 
lived only a few yards across the street, and an almost daily 
promenade on my terrace, I had not moved about since my 
arrival. With a deep consciousness of the critical position in 
which I was placed, I followed my protector, who, mounted on 
his favorite white mare, led the way through the streets of the 
town, along which the assembled natives were thronging in 
order to get a glance at me. Leaving the high mounds of 



443 

rubbish which constitute the ground-work of the northern part 
of the town on our left, and pursuing a north-northeasterly 
direction over a sandy tract covered with stunted bushes, and 
making only a short halt near a well five miles from the town, 
for the purpose of watering our horses, after a march of two 
miles more we reached the camp, which could easily be recog- 
nised at a great distance by two large white cotton tents, whose 
size and situation made them conspicuous above some smaller 
leathern dwellings. It was just about sunset ; and the open 
country with its rich mimosas, and with the camp on the rising 
ground, the white sandy soil of which was illuminated by the 
last rays of the setting sun, presented an interesting spectacle. 
The younger inhabitants of the camp, including Baba Ahmed 
and 'Abidin, two favorite boys of the sheikh, one five, the other 
four years of age, came out to meet us ; and I soon afterward 
found myself lodged in an indigenous tent of camel's hair, 
which was pitched at the foot of the hill, belonging to Moham- 
med el Khalil, a relative of the sheikh, who had come from his 
native home in Tiris, on the shores of the Atlantic, in order to 
share his uncle's blessing. 

In this encampment we passed several days in the most quiet 
and retired manner, when my friend revealed to me his course 
of action. It was his intention, he said, to bring the old chief 
Galaijo, from the place of his exile in Champagore, back to 
this part of Negroland, which he had formerly ruled, and to 
reinstate him, by the aid of the Tawarek, in the government 
of Masina with the residence Hamda-Allahi, of which he was 
to deprive the family of Lebbo. But even if it was true, as 
he said, that the Fiilbe themselves, as well as those settled 
between Fermagha and Gundam, as those inhabiting the pro- 
vinces of Dalla, Dwenza, and Gilgdji, were opposed to the 
government of Lebbo, such a project appeared to me to require 
a greater share of perseverance and determination than, from 
all that I had seen, I could believe my noble friend possessed. 
However, he entertained no doubt at that time that Alkiittabu, 
the great chief of the Tawarek himself, would come to his aid 



444 EVENING DEVOTIONS. 

without delay and conduct me, under his powerful protection, 
safely along the banks of the Niger. 

However exaggerated the projects of ray protector were, 
considering his mild disposition, and although by exasperating 
the Fiilbe more and more, he no doubt increased the difficulties 
of my situation, the moving of his encampment outside the 
town afforded me a great deal of relief, both in consequence 
of the change of air which it procured me, and of the varied 
scenery. I could also get here a little exercise, although the 
more open the country was, the greater care I had to take of 
my safety. In the morning, particularly, the camp presented 
a very animated sight. The two large white tents of cotton 
cloth, with their top-covering, or "saramme," of checkered 
design, and their woollen curtains of various colors, were half 
opened to allow the morning air to pervade them. The other 
smaller ones were grouped picturesquely around on the slope, 
which was enlivened by camels, cattle, and goats that were just 
being driven out. All nature was awake and full of bustle, and 
the trees were swarming with white pigeons. In the evening, 
again, there were the cattle returning from their pasturage, the 
slaves bringing water on the backs of the asses, and the people 
grouped together in the simple place of devotion, laid out with 
thorny bushes, in order to say their prayers, guided by the 
melodious voice of their teacher, who never failed to join them. 
At this time a chapter of the Kuran was chanted by the best 
instructed of the pupils, and continued often till a late hour at 
night, the sound of these beautiful verses, in their melodious 
fall, reverberating from the downs around ; at other times 
animated conversation ensued, and numerous groups gathered 
on the open ground by the side of the fire. 

We returned into the town on the 13th. 

The interests of the different members of the family now 
began to clash. The sheikh himself was firm in his opposition 
against the Fiilbe, and ^requested me in future, when I visited 
him, to come to his house fully armed, in order to show our 
adversaries that I was ready to repulse any violence ; and it 
was in vain that I protested that, as I came with peaceable in- 



ATTEMPT AT PROSELYTISM. 445 

tentions, nothing could be farther from ray wish than to cause 
any disturbance in the town. Meanwhile, his brother, Sidi 
A'lnwate, suborned one of the sheikh's pupils to make another 
attempt to convert me to Islamism. This man was one 
of the most learned followers of the sheikh, having resided for 
nearly thirty years in the family. Partly on this account, 
partly on account of his great religious knowledge, and his 
volubility of speech, he possessed great influence with all the 
people, although his prudence and forbearance were not con- 
spicuous. But, finding that his usual arguments in favor of 
his creed did not avail with me, he soon desisted. This was 
the last time these people attempted to make me a proselyte to 
their religion, with the exception of some occasional serious 
advice from my friends under the temporary pressure of politi- 
cal difficulties. 

The emir of the place, of the name of Kauri, who was a 
good-natured man, and whose colleague, Belle, was absent at 
the time, having advised my protector to take me again out of 
the town for a few days, till the Kadhi A'hmed Weled F'aam- 
me, who was going to Hamda-AlLihi, and who was especially 
hostilely disposed toward me, should have left, we again set 
out, on the morning of the ltth October; but, having staid in 
the encampment that night and the following morning, we re- 
turned to the town the same afternoon, but left again on the 
morning of the 20th, when the kafla of the Tawatiye was ready 
to set out on their journey to the north, and staid with them 
during the heat of the day. 

The caravan having started the following morning, we staid 
two days longer in the camp, and then once more returned into 
the town, without any farther difficulty, in the company of 
Sidi A'lawate, who had come out to join us with a body of 
armed followers, and who behaved now, on the whole, much 
more amiably toward me. 

The Ftllbe, however, did not give -up their point, and, as 

they did not find themselves strong enough to proceed to open 

violence, made an indirect attack upon me by putting in irons 

on the 2Uh some Arabs or Moors, on the pretext of having 

38 



446 MOVEMENTS OF THE f'uLBE. 

neglected their prayers, thereby protesting strongly enough 
against a person of an entirely different creed staying in the 
town. The Emir Kauri himself, who, on the whole, seemed to 
be a man of good sense, was in a most awkward position ; and 
when the kadhi informed him that, if he was not able to exe- 
cute the order which he had received from his liege lord, he 
should solicit the assistance of the people of Timbuktu, he re- 
fused to have recourse to violence till he had received stricter 
orders to that effect and more effectual aid ; for, in the event 
of his Laving driven me out, and anything having befallen me, 
the whole blame would be thrown upon him, as had been the 
case with Sidi Bu-Bakr the governor, who, obeying the orders 
of Mohammed Lebbo, had obliged the Rais (Major Laing) to 
leave the town, and thus, in some measure, was the cause of 
his death, that distinguished traveller having thrown himself 
in despair into the arms of Hamed Weled 'Abeda, the chief 
of the Berabish, who murdered him in the desert. 

But, on the other hand, the emir endeavored to dissuade 
my protector, who was about to send a messenger to Alkiitta- 
bu, the great chief of the Awelimmiden, to summon him to his 
assistance, from carrying out his intention, fearing lest the re- 
sult of this proceeding might be a serious conflict between the 
Tawarek and the Fulbe. However, from all that I saw, I be- 
came aware that the chance of my departure was more remote 
than ever. I therefore again protested to my friend that it 
was my earnest desire to set out on my home journey as soon 
as possible, and that I felt not a little annoyed at the continual 
procrastination. 

Several circumstances occurred at this time to make me feel 
the delay more deeply, so that notwithstanding my sincere 
esteem for my protector, I thought it better, when we again 
left the town in the evening of the 27th, to remain where I was ; 
for after my return from our last excursion, in consequence of 
the severe cold during the night, I had been visited by a seri- 
ous attack of rheumatism, which had rendered me quite lame 
for a day or two. 

With regard to the means of my departure, the Walati, 



INTRIGUES OP WALA'TI. 44 f 

whom I had sent out at a great expense to bring ray horses and 
camels from the other side of the river, had brought back my 
horses in the most emaciated condition. As for the camels, he 
had intended to appropriate them for his own use ; but I de- 
feated his scheme by making a present of them to the sheikh. 
This brought all the Walati 's other intrigues to light, espe- 
cially the circumstance of his having presented a small pistol 
(which I had given to himself) to Hammadi, the sheikh's rival, 
intimating that it came from me, and thus endangering my 
whole position, by making the sheikh believe that I was giving 
presents to his rivals and his enemies. But my protector acted 
nobly on this occasion ; for he not only warned me against the 
intrigues of the Walati, and would not lend an ear to his nume- 
rous calumnies against me, but he even preferred me, the 
Christian, to my Mohammedan companion, the Mejebri, 'All 
el A'geren, who was sometimes led, through fear, to take the 
part of the Walati ; and the Mejebri, who thought himself 
almost a sherif, and murmured his prayers the whole evening 
long, felt not a little hurt and excited when he found that the 
sheikh placed infinitely more reliance upon me than upon 
himself. 

The city of Timbuktu, according to Dr. Peterman's laying 
down of it from my materials, lies in 1*7° 3t' N. and 3° 5 r W. 
of Greenwich. Situated only a few feet above the average 
level of the river, and at a distance of six miles from the prin- 
cipal branch, it at present forms a sort of triangle, the base 
of which points toward the river, while the projecting angle is 
directed toward the north, having for its centre the mosque of 
Sankore. But, during the zenith of its power, the town ex- 
tended a thousand yards further north, and included the tomb 
of the Faki Mahmiid, which, according to some of my inform- 
ants, was then situated in the midst of the town. 

The circumference of the city at the present time I reckon 
at a little more than two miles and a half; but it may approach 
closely to three miles, taking into account some of the pro- 
jecting angles. Although of only small size, Timbuktu may 
well be called a city — medina — in comparison with the frail 



448 DESCRIPTION OF TIMBUKTU. 

dwelling-places all over Negroland. At present it is not 
walled. Its former wall, which seems never to have been of 
great magnitude, and was rather more of the nature of a ram- 
part, was destroyed by the Fiilbe on their first entering the 
place in the beginning of the year 1826. The town is laid 
out partly in rectangular, partly in winding streets, or, as they 
are called here "tij era-ten," which are not paved, but for the 
greater part consist of hard sand and gravel, and some of them 
have a sort of gutter in the middle. Besides the large and 
the small market there are few open areas, except a small 
square in front of the mosque of Yahia, called Tiimbutu- 
bdttema. 

Small as it is, the city is tolerably well inhabited, and almost 
all the houses are in good repair. There are about 980 clay 
houses, and a couple of hundred conical huts of matting, the 
latter, with a few exceptions, constituting the outskirts of the 
town on the north and northeast sides, where a great deal of 
rubbish, which has been accumulating in the course of several 
centuries, is formed into conspicuous mounds. The clay 
houses are all of them built on the same principle as my own 
residence, which I have described, with the exception that the 
houses of the poorer people have only one court-yard, and 
have no upper room on the terrace. 

The only remarkable public buildings in the town are the 
three large mosques : the Jingere-ber, built by Mansa Miisa ; 
the mosque of Sankore, built at an early period at the expense 
of a wealthy woman ; and the mosque Sidi Yahia, built at 
the expense of a kadhi of the town. There were three other 
mosques : that of Sidi Haj Mohammed, Msid Belal, and that 
of Sidi el Bami. These mosques, and perhaps some little 
msid, or place of prayer, Caillie must have included when he 
speaks of seven mosques. Besides these mosques there are at 
present no distinguished public buildings in the town ; and of 
the royal palace, or M'a-dugu, wherein the kings of Songhay 
used to reside occasionally, as well as the Kasbah, which was 
built in later times, in the southeastern quarter, or the " Sane- 
gungu," which already at that time was inhabited by the mer- 



POPULATION. 449 

chants from Ghadames, not a trace is to be seen. Besides this 
quarter, which is the wealthiest, and contains the best houses, 
there are six other quarters, viz., Yiibu, the quarter comprising 
the great market-place (yubu) and the mosque of Sidi Yahia, 
to the west of Sane-gungu ; and west of the former, forming 
the southwestern angle of the town, and called, from the great 
mosque, Jingere-ber or Zangere-ber. This latter quarter, from 
the most ancient times, seems to have been inhabited especially 
by Mohammedans, and not unlikely may have formed a distinct 
quarter, separated from the rest of the town by a wall of its 
own. Toward the north, the quarter Sane-gungu is bordered 
by the one called Sara-kaina, meaning literally the " little 
town," and containing the residence of the sheikh, and the 
house where I myself was lodged. Attached to Sara-kaina, 
toward the north, is Yubu-kaina, the quarter containing the 
"little market," which is especially used as a butcher's market. 
Bordering both on Jingere-ber and Yubu-kaina is the quarter 
Bagindi, occupying the lowest situation in the town, and stated 
by the inhabitants to have been flooded entirely in the great 
inundation which took place in 1640. From this depression 
in the ground, the quarter of Sankore, which forms the north- 
ernmost angle of the city, rises to a considerable elevation, in 
such a manner that the mosque of Sankore, which seems to 
occupy its ancient site and level, is at present situated in a 
deep hollow — an appearance which seems to prove that this 
elevation of the ground is caused by the accumulation of rub- 
bish, in consequence of the repeated ruin which seems to have 
befallen this quarter pre-eminently, as being the chief strong- 
hold of the native Songhay. The slope which this quarter 
forms toward the northeastern end in some spots exceeds eighty 
feet. 

The whole number of the settled inhabitants of the town 
amounts to about 13,000, while the floating population during 
the months of the greatest traffic and intercourse, especially 
from November to January, may amount on an average to 
5000, and under favorable circumstances to as many as 10,000. 

[Dr. Barth made an excursion with the sheikh to Kabara, 
38* 2d 



450 TEDIOUSNESS OF POSITION. 

the harbor of Timbuktu, and they took up their residence at the 
desert camp already described.] 

Notwithstanding trifling incidents which tended occasionally 
to alleviate the tediousness of our stay, I was deeply afflicted 
by the immense delay and loss of time, and did not allow an 
opportunity to pass by of urging my protector to hasten our 
departure ; and he promised me that, as I was not looking for 
property, he should not keep me long. But, nevertheless, his 
slow and deliberate character could not be overcome, and it 
was not until the arrival of another messenger from Hamda- 
Allahi, with a fresh order from the sheikh to deliver me into 
his hands, that he was induced to return into the town. 

My situation in this turbulent place now approached a 
serious crisis ; but, through the care which my friends took of 
me, I was not allowed to become fully aware of the danger I 
was in. The sheikh himself was greatly excited, but came to 
no decision with regard to the measures to be taken ; and at 
times he did not see any safety for me except by my taking 
refuge with the Tawarek, and placing myself entirely under 
their protection. But as for myself I remained quiet, although 
my spirits were far from being buoyant ; especially as, during 
this time, I suffered severely from rheumatism ; and I had be- 
come so tired of this stay outside in the tents, where I was not 
able to write, that, when the sheikh went out again in the 
evening of the 16th, I begged him to let me remain where I 
was. Being anxious about my safety, he returned the follow- 
ing evening. However, on the 22d, I was obliged to accom- 
pany him on another visit to the tents, which had now been 
pitched in a different place, on a bleak sandy eminence, 
about five miles east from the town, but this time he kept his 
promise of not staying more than twenty-four hours. It was 
at this encampment that I saw again the last four of my 
camels, which at length, after innumerable delays, and with 
immense expense, had been brought from beyond the river, but 
they were in a miserable condition, and furnished another ex- 
cuse to my friends for putting off my departure, the animals 
being scarcely fit to undertake a journey. 



DANGEROUS SITUATION. 451 



CHAPTER XXYL 

Political troubles in Timbuktu — Dr. Earth's life threatened — The camp 
menaced — Dr. Barth defended by the sheikh — The chief A'wab — Let- 
ter from Mr. Dickson — Firman from Stambul demanded — Mungo 
Park — Death of 'All — Rise of the Niger. 

In the mean time, while I was thus warding off a decisive 
blow from my enemies, the political horizon of these extensive 
regions became rather more turbulent than usual ; and war 
and feud raged in every quarter. 

The danger of my situation increased when, on the 17th of 
November, some more messengers from the prince of Hamda- 
Allahi arrived in order to raise the zek'a, and at the same 
time we received authentic information that the Fiilbe had 
made an attempt to instigate A'wab, the chief of the Tade- 
mekket, upon whom I chiefly relied for my security, to betray 
me into their hands. News also arrived that the Welad Sli- 
man, that section of the Berabish to which belongs especially 
the chief Hamed Weled 'Abeda, who killed Major Laing, had 
bound themselves by an oath to put me to death. But my 
situation became still more critical toward the close of the 
month, when, having once more left the town for the tents, 
we received information that a fresh party had arrived from 
the capital with the strictest orders to take me dead or alive. 

Thursday, December 1st. Having passed a rather anxious 
night, with my pistols in my girdle, and ready for any emer- 
gency, I was glad when, in the morning, I saw my boy return 
accompanied by Mohammed el 'Aish, But I learned that the 
people of the town were in a state of great excitement, and 
that there was no doubt but an attack would be made upon 
my house the next morning. Thus much I made out myself; 
but having no idea of the imminence of the danger, in the 
course of the day I sent away my only servant with my two 



452 AN ATTACK. 

horses, for the purpose of being watered. But my Tawati 
friend seemed to be better informed, and taking his post on 
the rising ground of the sandy downs, on the slope of which 
we were encamped, kept an anxious look-out toward the town. 
About dhohor, or two o'clock in the afternoon, he gave notice 
of the approach of horsemen in the distance, and while I went 
into my tent to look after my effects, Mohammed el Khalil 
rushed in suddenly, crying out to me to arm myself. Upon 
this I seized all the arms I had, consisting of a double-bar- 
relled gun, three pistols, and a sword ; and I had scarcely 
come out when I met the sheikh himself with the small six-bar- 
relled pistol which I ( had given him in his hand. Handing 
one of my large pistols to Mohammed ben Mukhtar, a young 
man of considerable energy, and one of the chief followers of 
the sheikh, I knelt down and pointed my gun at the foremost 
of the horsemen who, to the number of thirteen, were ap- 
proaching. Having been brought to a stand by our threaten- 
ing to fire if they came nearer, their officer stepped forward 
crying out that he had a letter to deliver to the sheikh ; but 
the latter forbade him to come near, saying that he would only 
receive the letter in the town, and not in the desert. The 
horsemen, finding that I was ready to shoot down the first 
two or three who should approach me, consulted with each 
other and then slowly fell back, relieving us from our anxious 
situation. But, though reassured of my own safety, I had my 
fears as to my servant and my two horses, and was greatly 
delighted when I saw them safely return from the water. 
However, our position soon became more secure in conse- 
quence of the arrival of Sidi A'lawate, accompanied by a 
troop of armed men, among whom there were some mus- 
keteers. It now remained to be decided what course we 
should pursue, and there was great indecision, A'lawate want- 
ing to remain himself with me at the tents, while the sheikh 
returned to the town. 

But besides my dislike to stay any longer at the encamp- 
ment, I had too little confidence in the younger brother of the 
sheikh to trust my life in his hands, and I was therefore ex- 



APPROACH OF A HOST. 453 

tremely delighted to find that El Bakiiy himself, and Moham- 
med el 'Aish, thought it best for me to return into the town\ 
At the moment when we mounted our horses, a troop of Kel- 
hekikan, although not always desirable companions, mounted 
on mehara, became visible in the distance, so that in their 
company we reentered Timbuktu, not only with full security, 
but with great eclat, and without a single person daring to op- 
pose our entrance ; though Hammadi, the sheikh's rival, was 
just about to collect his followers in order to come himself and 
fight us at the tents. Frustrated in this plan, he came to my 
protector in his " msid," or place of prayer in front of his 
house, and had a serious conversation with him, while the fol- 
lowers of the latter armed themselves in order to anticipate 
any treachery or evil design, of which they were greatly afraid, 
But the interview passed off quietly, and, keeping strict watch 
on the terrace of our house, we passed the ensuing night with- 
out farther disturbance. 

This happened on the 1st of December; and the following 
morning, in conformity with the sheikh's protest, that he would 
receive the Emir of Hamda-Allahi's letter only in Timbuktu, 
the messenger arrived ; but the latter being a man of ignoble 
birth, called Mohammed ben S'aid, the character of the mes- 
senger irritated my host almost more even than the tenor of 
the letter, which ordered him to give me and my property up 
into the hands of his (the emir's) people. After having given 
vent to his anger, he sent for me, and handed me the letter, 
together with another which had been addressed to the Emir 
Kauri, and the whole community of the town, whites as well 
as blacks (el bedhiin u e' sudan), threatening them with con- 
dign punishment if they should not capture me, or watch me in 
such a manner that I could not escape. 

But the sheikh adhered to me without wavering for a mo- 
ment. He sat down and wrote a spirited and circumstantial 
letter to Seko A'hmedu, wherein he reproached him with 
attempting to take out of his hands by force a man better 
versed in subjects of religion than he, the emir himself, who 



454 INTERVIEW WITH A'wa'b. 

had come from a far distant country to pay him his respects, 
and who was his guest. 

The following day, while I was in the company of the 
sheikh, the Emir Kauri and the Kadhi San-shirfu, together 
with several other principal personages, called upon him, when 
I paid my compliments to them all, and found that the latter 
especially was a very respectable man. My friend had pro- 
vided for any emergency, having sent to the Tademekket, re- 
questing them urgently to come to his assistance ; and, in the 
evening of the 6th of December, A'wab, the chief of the Tin- 
ger-egedesh, arrived with fifty horse, and was lodged by El 
Bakay in the neighborhood of our quarters. 

The next morning the sheikh sent for me to pay my compli- 
ments to this chief. I found him a very stately person of a 
proud commanding bearing, clad in a jellaba tobe striped red 
and white, and ornamented with green silk, his head adorned 
with a high red cap, an article of dress which is very rarely 
seen here, either among the Tawarek or even the Arabs. 
Having saluted him, I explained to him the reason of my 
coming, and for what purpose I sought imana ; and when he 
raised an objection on account of my creed, because I did not 
acknowledge Mohammed as a prophet, I succeeded in warding 
off his attack by telling him that they themselves did not 
acknowledge Mohammed as the only prophet, but likewise 
acknowledged Musa, 'Aisa, and many others ; and that, in 
reality, they seemed to acknowledge in a certain degree, the 
superiority of 'Aisa,* by supposing that he was to return at 
the end of the world ; and that thus, while we had a different 
prophet, but adored and worshipped one and the same God, 
and, leaving out of the question a few divergences in point of 
diet and morals, followed the same religious principles as they 
themselves did, it seemed to me that we were nearer to each 
other than he thought, and might well be friends, offering to 
each other those advantages which each of us commanded. 

In the evening of the 7th a slave suddenly arrived with the 

* 'Aisa, Jesus. 



LETTER AND NEWS FROM EUROPE. 455 

news that a letter had reached my address from the north. He 
was followed a short time afterward by Mohammed el 'Aish, 
who brought me the parcel in question, which, however, had 
been opened. The letter was from Mr. Charles Dickson, her 
majesty's vice-consul in Ghadames, dated June 18th, and in- 
closing, besides some recommendations to native merchants, a 
number of " Galignani," which informed me of the first move- 
ments of the Russians on the Danube. The Ghadamsiye 
people, who were the bearers of the letter, had already spread 
the news of a dreadful battle having been fought between the 
Turks and the Russians, in which 30,000 of the latter had 
been slain and 40,000 made prisoners. 

The following day A'wab, who himself had arrived with 
fifty horsemen, was joined by his cousin Fandaghiimme with 
fifty more. This was very fortunate ; for, about dhohor, the 
Fiilbe held a conference or " kendegay" in the Gengere-ber 
or Jam 'a el Kebira, where Hamed Weled F'aamme, the malig- 
nant and hostile kadhi, made a violent speech before the 
assembly, exhorting the people to go immediately and carry 
out the order of their liege lord the Sheikho A'hmedu, even 
if they were to fight conjointly against El Bakay, A'wab, and 
the Emir Kauri, whom he represented as disobedient and 
almost rebellious to his liege lord. A friend of the latter, who 
knew the cowardly disposition of the speaker, then rose in the 
assembly, and exhorted the kadhi to lead the van, and pro- 
ceed to the attack, when every one would follow him. But 
the kadhi not choosing to expose his own person to danger, 
nothing was done, and the assembly separated, every one 
going quietly to his home. 

Meanwhile the two Tawarek chiefs, with their principal 
men, were assembled in the house of the sheikh, where I went 
to meet them, but found them not quite satisfied with the part 
which they were acting. They entered into a warm dispute 
with me upon the subject of religion, but soon found them- 
selves so perplexed that they left it to the sheikh to answer all 
my objections. A Protestant Christian may easily defend his 



456 btema'n from stambu'l demanded. 

creed against these children of the desert, as long as they have 
not recourse to arras. 

Next morning we left the narrow lanes of Timbuktu and 
entered upon the open sandy desert, accompanied by the two 
Tawarek chiefs, each of whom had fifteen companions. Leath- 
ern tents had been pitched for the Tawarek, who in a short 
time made themselves quite at home, and were in high spirits. 
They became very much interested in a map of Africa which 
I showed to them, with the adjoining shores of Arabia, and 
they paid a compliment to their prophet by kissing the site of 
3Iekka. 

Being thus on good terms with my barbaric veiled friends, 
the Molathemun, I enjoyed extremely, the following morning, 
the half-desert scenery, enlivened as it was by horses, camels, 
cattle, and interesting groups of men ; but about noon a 
serious alarm arose, a great many horses being seen in the 
distance, and the number being exaggerated by some people 
to as many as two hundred. In consequence, we saddled our 
horses with great speed, and I mounted with my servants, 
while the Tawarek also kept their animals in readiness ; but 
the advancing host appeared rather of a peaceable character, 
consisting of about twenty-five of the most respectable inhabi- 
tants of the town, with Malay 'Abd e' Salam and Fasidi, the 
latter a very noble old man, at their head. They came, how- 
ever, on a very important errand, based on the direct order 
as promulgated by the Emir of Hamda-Allahi, and addressed 
to the whole community, being in hopes that, through their 
personal authority, they might obtain from my host, in a 
friendly manner, what he had denied to the display of force. 
They had two requests, both aimed against myself: first, that 
El Bakay should give them a copy of the letter which I was 
said to have brought with me from Stambiil ; and the second, 
which was more explicit, that I should not return into the 
town. Xow my firman from Stambiil was my greatest trouble, 
for, having anxiously requested her British majesty's govern- 
ment to send such a document after me, I always expected to 
receive it by some means or other ; but I was not less disap- 



RETURN TO THE TOWN. 45T 

pointed in this respect, than in my expectation of receiving a 
letter of recommendation from Morocco ; nevertheless, as I 
had some other letters from Mohammedans, the sheikh pro- 
mised to comply with the first demand of these people, while 
he refused to pay any attention to the second. After some 
unsuccessful negotiation, the messengers retraced their steps 
rather disheartened. 

It was near sunset when we mounted in order to return into 
the town ; and on the way I kept up a conversation with 
A'wab, till the time of the mughreb prayer arrived, when the 
whole of my friends went to pray on the desert ground, while 
I myself, remaining on horseback, went a little on one side of 
the track. My companions afterward contended that it was 
from motives of pride and arrogance that I did not humble 
myself in the dust before the Almighty. I should certainly 
have liked to kneel down and thank Providence for the remark- 
able manner in which my life had hitherto been preserved ; but 
I did not deem it politic to give way to their mode of thinking 
and worship in any respect ; for I should have soon been taken 
for a Mohammedan, and, once in such a false position, there 
would have been no getting out of it. 

The same evening I had an interesting conversation with the 
chief A'wab, who paid me a long visit, in company with his 
m'allem, and gave me the first account of the proceedings of 
that Christian traveller Mungo Park (to use his own words), 
who, about fifty years ago, came down the river in a large boat; 
describing the manner in which he had been first attacked by 
the Tawiirek below Kabara, where he had lost some time in 
endeavoring to open a communication with the natives, while 
the Tinger-egedish forwarded the news of his arrival, without 
delay, to the Igwadaren, who, having collected their canoes, 
attacked him, first near Bamba, and then again at the narrow 
passage of Tdsaye, though all in vain ; till at length, the boat 
of that intrepid traveller having stuck fast at Ensy'mmo (pro- 
bably identical with Ansdngo), the Tawarek of that neighbor- 
hood made another fierce and more successful attack, causing 
him an immense deal of trouble, and killing, as A'wab asserted, 

39 



45 S LETTER OF FRANCHISE. 

two of his Christian companions. He also gave me a full 
account of the iron hook with which the boat was provided 
against hippopotami and hostile canoes ; and his statement 
altogether proved what an immense excitement the mysterious 
appearance of this European traveller, in his solitary boat, had 
caused among all the surrouuding tribes. 

The chief being very anxious to obtain some silver, I thought 
it best, in order to convince all the people that I had no dollars 
left (although I had saved about twenty for my journey to 
Hausa), to give him my silver knife and fork, besides some large 
silver rings which I had by me ; and he was very glad to have 
obtained a sufficient quantity of this much-esteemed metal for 
adorning his beloved wife. 

These Tawarek chiefs who had thus become well disposed 
toward me, through the interference of the sheikh, wrote an 
excellent letter of franchise for any Englishman visiting this 
country, thus holding out the first glimmer of hope of a peace- 
able intercourse. 

December 19th. This was an important day — important to 
the Mohammedans as the 'Aid e' subuwa, and celebrated by 
them with prayers and seddega or alms ; and not unimportant 
for myself, for my relation to the townspeople had meanwhile 
assumed a more serious character. Sheikho (Seko) A'hmedu 
had threatened that, if the inhabitants of Timbuktu did not 
assist in driving me out of the town, he would cut off the sup- 
ply of corn. This induced the Emir Kaiiri to undertake a 
journey to the capital, in order to prevent the malicious 
intrigues of the Kadhi Weled F'aamme, who was about to 
embark for that place, from making matters worse. 

'All, the son of the old Sheikh A'hmed, or Hamed, Weled 
'Abeda, had come to Timbuktu ; and, seeing that I was a 
great friend of the Sheikh el Bakay, he had not come to pay 
his compliments to the latter, but had pitched his camp outside 
the town, and his people manifested their hostility toward me 
on several occasions. But, by a most providential dispensation, 
on the seventeenth the chief fell suddenly sick, and in the 
morning of the nineteenth he died. His death made an ex- 



SUPERSTITION. 459 

traordinary impression upon the people, as it was a well-known 
fact that it was his father who had killed the former Christian 
who had visited this place ; and the more so, as it was generally- 
believed that I was Major Laing's son. 

It was the more important, as the report had been generally 
spread that, as I have observed before, the Welad Sliman, the 
principal and most noble section of the Berabish, had sworn 
to kill me ; and the people could not but think that there was 
some supernatural connection between the death of this man, 
at this place and at this period, and the murderous deed per- 
petrated by his father ; and, on the whole, I cannot but think 
that this event exercised a salutary influence upon my final 
safety. The followers of the chief of the Berabish were so 
frightened by this tragical event, that they came in great pro- 
cession to the Sheikh el Bakay, to beg his pardon for their 
neglect, and to obtain his blessing ; nay, the old man himself, 
a short time afterward, sent word, that he would in no way 
interfere with my departure, but wished nothing better than 
that I might reach home in safety. The excitement of the 
people on account of my stay here thus settled down a little, 
and the party of the Fiilbe seemed quietly to await the result 
produced by the answer which the shiekh had forwarded to 
Hamda-Allahi. 

On the 21st December we again went in the afternoon to the 
tents. For the first time since my arrival in this town I rode 
my own stately charger, which, having remained so many 
months in the stable, feeding upon the nutritive grass of the 
by'rgu, had so completely recruited his strength that in my 
desperately weak state T was scarcely able to manage him. 
The desert presented a highly interesting spectacle. A con- 
siderable stream, formed by the river, poured its waters with 
great force into the valleys and depressions of this sandy region, 
and gave an appearance of truth to the fabulous statement of 
thirty-six rivers flowing through this tract. After a few hours' 
repose, I was able to keep up a long conversation with the 
sheikh in the evening, about Paradise and the divine character 
of the Kuran. This time our stay at the tents afforded more 



460 CHANTING IN THE DESERT. 

opportunity than usual for interesting conversation, and bore 
altogether a more religious character, my protector being 
anxious to convince his friends and followers of the depth of 
the faith of the Christians ; and I really lamented that circum- 
stances did not allow me to enter so freely into the details of 
the creed of these people, and to make myself acquainted with 
all its characteristics, as I should have liked. 

Part of the day the sheikh read and recited to his pupils 
chapters from the hadith of Bokhari, while his young son re- 
peated his lesson aloud from the Kunin, and in the evening 
several surat, or chapters, of the holy book were beautifully 
chanted by the pupils till a late hour of the night. There was 
nothing more charming to me than to hear these beautiful 
verses chanted by sonorous voices in this open desert country, 
round the evening fire, with nothing to disturb the sound, 
which softly reverberated from the slope of the sandy downs 
opposite. A Christian must have been a witness to such 
scenes in order to treat with justice the Mohammedans and 
their creed. Let us not forget that but for the worship of 
images and the quarrels about the most absurdly superstitious 
notions which distracted the Christian Church during the 
seventh century, there would have been no possibility of the 
establishment of a new creed based on the principles of Mono- 
theism, and opposed in open hostility to Christianity. Let us 
also take into an account that the most disgusting feature at- 
taching to the morals of Mohammedans has been introduced 
by the Mongolish tribes from Central Asia, and excited the 
most unqualified horror in the founder of the religion. 

Peace and security seemed to prevail in this little encamp- 
ment. In general the whole of this region to the north of the 
river is entirely free from beasts of prey, with the exception of 
jackals ; but at present, together with the rising water, which 
had entirely changed the character of these districts, a lion 
had entered this desert tract, and one day killed three goats, 
and the following one two asses, one of which was remarkable 
for its great strength. 

Remaining here a couple of days, on the evening of the 25th 



MOSLIM VIEW OF INSURANCE. 461 

we had again a long conversation, which was very characte- 
ristic of the different state of mind of the Christian in com- 
parison with that of the Mohammedan. While speaking of 
European institutions, I informed my host of the manner in 
which we were accustomed to insure property by sea as well as 
on land, including even harvests, nay, even the lives of the 
people. He appeared greatly astonished, and was scarcely 
able to believe it ; and while he could not deny that it was a 
good "debbara," or device for this world, he could not but 
think, as a pious Moslim, that such proceedings might en- 
danger the safety of the soul in the next. However, he was 
delighted to see that Christians took such care for the welfare 
of the family which they might leave behind ; and it was an easy 
task to prove to him that, as to making profits in any way what- 
ever, his co-religionists, who think any kind of usury unlawful, 
Were in no way better than the Christians ; for, although the 
former do not openly take usury, they manage affairs so cleverly 
that they demand a much higher percentage than any honest 
Christian would accept. I had a fair opportunity of citing, as 
an instance, one of those merchants resident in Timbuktu, to 
whom I had been recommended by Mr. Dickson, and who had 
consented to advance me a small loan, under such conditions 
that he was to receive almost triple the sum which he was to 
lend. 

December 25th. This day was also an important epoch for 
the inhabitants of the place, the water having entered the 
wells, which are situated round the southern and southwestern 
part of the town ; and this period, which is said to occur only 
about every third year, obtains the same importance here as 
the " lelet e' nuktah" possesses with the inhabitants of Cairo ; 
viz., the day or night on which the dike which separates the 
canal from the river is cut. The whole road from Kabara was 
now so inundated that it was no longer passable for asses, and 
small boats very nearly approached the town. 

The commercial activity of the town had received some 
increase, owing to the arrival of a caravan from Tawat, 
with black Hausa manufactures, tobacco, and dates, so 
39 



462 DISCUSSION ON RELIGION. 

that I was able to lay in a good store of this latter luxury, 
which is not always to be got here, but which, in the cold 
season, is not at all to be despised. Besides receiving a hand- 
some present of dates from my noble Tawati friend Moham- 
med el 'Aish, I bought two measures (neffek) and a half of 
the kind called tin-aser for 4000 shells; for the " tin-akor," 
the most celebrated species of dates from Tawat, were not to 
be procured at this time. As for tobacco, I did not care a 
straw about it, and in this respect I might have been on the 
very best terms with my fanatical friends, the Fulbe of Harnda- 
Allahi, who offer such a determined opposition to smoking, 
upon religious principles. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



Discussions of the Chiefs on Religion — Excursion to the River — Com- 
merce of Timbuktu. 

I had long cherished the hope that the beginning of 1854 
would have found me far advanced on my homeward journey; 
but greatly disappointed in this expectation, I began the year 
with a fervent prayer for a safe return home in the course 
of it. 

It had been arranged that we should make an excursion to 
Kabara, but our visit was put off from day to day, although I 
was extremely anxious to witness the features of the country, 
in the present high level of the river, at the place where I had 
first landed on my arrival. Thus I was reduced, for entertain- 
ment, to my intercourse with the sheikh, his kinsfolk, and follow- 
ers ; and as religious topics were always brought forward more 
prominently by my enemies, but especially in the learned letters 
which the emir of Hamda-Allahi sent in reply to the sheikh, 
my conversation with the former now began to turn more and 
more upon religious subjects, such as the return of the Mes- 
siah, and on the meaning of the name " Paraclete " given in 



RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION. 463 

the New Testament to the Holy Spirit, who was to descend 
upon the apostles, but which by the Mohammedans in more 
recent times is applied to Mohammed, whose coming, they say, 
is predicted in this instance by the Holy Book of the Chris- 
tians. 

One day when I visited the sheikh the two brothers were 
engaged in an animated discussion respecting the relation of 
'Aisa (Jesus Christ) to Mohammed, and a warm dispute arose 
on the sophistical question whether it would be allowed, after 
the return of 'Aisa upon earth, to eat camel's flesh. The 
sheikh himself was anxious to prove how difficult it would be 
for themselves to change any part of their creed after the return 
of 'Aisa, owing to the difference which existed between the 
precepts of the two prophets, and thus intended to excuse the 
Christians for not embracing the creed of Mohammed after 
having once adopted that of 'Aisa. The two learned men, in 
the heat of their dispute, had overlooked the fact that the 
camel was a prohibited animal to the Jews, but not to the 
Christians, and hence that the return of 'Aisa would not inter- 
fere with their favorite repast. It was by cheerfully entering 
into these discussions that I obtained for myself the esteem 
even of those who were most anxious to extort from me as 
much as possible of my remaining property. 

It was on the 4th of January that the first boat from Ka- 
bara approached close to the walls of the town of Timbuktu ; 
and, as the immediate result of such a greater facility of inter- 
course, the supply of corn became more plentiful, and, in con- 
sequence, much cheaper : the s'aa of millet being sold for 40 
shells, and the suniye, that is to say, more than two hundred 
pounds' weight, for 3000, or one Spanish dollar — certainly a 
very low rate ; while I myself, as a foreigner and a stranger, 
had to pay 3T50. The high state of the waters was naturally 
of the greatest interest to me ; and, in order to satisfy my 
curiosity, the sheikh took me out on the 9th. Emerging from 
the town at about the middle of the western wall, where for- 
merly the bab el gibleh was situated, we went first to the nearest 
creek of the river, but found here no boats ; and then crossing 



464 LEATHER-WORK. 

an extremely barren and stony level, reached another branch 
of the creek, where eight or ten smaller boats, without a cover- 
ing or cabin, were lying ; the innermost corner of this creek 
not being more than four or five hundred yards distant from 
the Great Mosque, or Jingere-ber. All the people asserted 
that the river, at Kabara, had now reached its highest level, 
and even affirmed that it had begun to fall here on the tth ; 
but, nevertheless, it became evident that the waters were still 
rising during the whole of the month, almost endangering the 
safety of the town. 

In this place I think it well to give a short sketch of the 
commercial relations of Timbuktu, though it cannot make the 
slightest pretension to completeness, as I did not enter into 
such free intercourse with the natives as would have enabled 
me to combine a sufficient number of facts into a graphic view 
of the commercial life of the city. The people with whom I 
had most intercourse could offer little or no information on the 
subject. My situation in Kand had been very different. 

The great feature which distinguishes the market of Tim- 
buktu from that of Kand is the fact that Timbuktu is not at 
all a manufacturing town, while the emporium of Hausa fully 
deserves to be classed as such. Almost the whole life of the 
city is based upon foreign commerce, which, owing to the great 
northerly bend of the Niger, finds here the most favored spot 
for intercourse, while at the same time that splendid river en- 
ables the inhabitants to supply all their wants from without ; 
for native corn is not raised here in sufficient quantities to feed 
even a very small proportion of the population, and almost all 
the victuals are imported by water-carriage from Sansandi and 
the neighborhood. 

The only manufactures carried on in the city, as far as fell 
under my observation, are confined to the art of the black- 
smith, and to a little leather-work. Some of these articles, 
such as provision or luggage bags, cushions, small leather 
pouches for tobacco, and gun-cloths, especially the leather bags, 
are very neat; but even these are mostly manufactured by Tn- 
warek, and especially females, so that the industry of the city 



COMMERCIAL CHANNELS 465 

is hardly of any account. It was formerly supposed that Tim- 
buktu was distinguished on account of its weaving, and that 
the export of dyed shirts from hence was considerable ; but 
this is entirely a mistake, almost the whole clothing of the na- 
tives themselves, especially that of the wealthier classes, being 
imported either from Kand or from Sansandi, besides the calico 
imported from England. The export of the produce of Kand, 
especially by way of A'rawan, extends to the very border of 
the Atlantic, where it comes into contact with the considerable 
import of Malabar cloth by way of St. Louis, or Nder, on the 
Senegal, while the dyed shirts from Sansandi, which, as far as 
I had an opportunity of observing, seemed to be made of 
foreign or English calico, and not of native cotton, do not 
appear to be exported to a greater distance. These shirts are 
generally distinguished by their rich ornament of colored silk, 
and look very pretty ; and I am sorry that I was obliged to 
give away as a present a specimen which I intended to bring 
home with me. The people of Timbuktu are very experienced 
in the art of adorning their clothing with a fine stitching of 
silk, but this is done on a very small scale, and even these shirts 
are only used at home. There is, however, a very considerable 
degree of industry exercised by the natives of some of the 
neighboring districts, especially Fermagha, who produce very 
excellent woollen blankets, and carpets of various colors, 
which form a most extensive article of consumption with the 
natives. 

The foreign commerce has especially three great high roads : 
that along the river from the southwest (for lower down the 
river there is at present scarcely any commerce at all), which 
comprises the trade proceeding from various points ; and two 
roads from the north, that from Morocco on the one hand, and 
that from Ghadames on the other. In all this commerce gold 
forms the chief staple, although the whole amount of the pre- 
cious metal exported from this city appears to be exceedingly 
small, if compared with a European standard. It probably 
does not exceed an average of £20,000 sterling per year. 

The next article that forms one of the chief staples in Tim- 

2e 



466 provisions. 

biiktu, and in some respects even more so than gold, is salt, 
which, together with gold, formed articles of exchange all 
along the Niger from the most ancient times. It is brought 
from Taodenni, a place whose situation has been tolerably well 
established by M. Caillie's journey, and the mines of which 
have been worked, as we know from A'hmed Baba, since the 
year 1596, when the former mines of Teghaza, situated some 
seventy miles farther to the north, were given up. 

The guro, or kola nut, which constitutes one of the greatest 
luxuries of Negroland, is also a most important article of trade. 
Possessing this, the natives do not feel the want of coffee, which 
they might so easily cultivate to any extent, the coffee-plant 
seeming to be indigenous in many parts of Negroland. 

The chief produce brought to the market of Timbuktu con- 
sists of rice and negro corn ; but I am quite unable to state 
the quantities imported. Besides these articles, one of the 
chief products is vegetable butter, or mai-kadena, which, be- 
sides being employed for lighting the dwellings, is used most 
extensively in cookery as a substitute for animal butter, at least 
by the poorer class of the inhabitants. Smaller articles, such 
as pepper, ginger, which is consumed in very great quantities, 
and sundry other articles, are imported. A small quantity of 
cotton is also brought into the market, not from Sansandi, I 
think, but rather from Jimballa and some of the neighboring 
provinces, no cotton being cultivated in the neighborhood of 
the town : but the natives do not seem to practice much weav- 
ing at home, even for their own private use. 

At the time of my visit, the caravan trade with Morocco, 
which is by far the most important, was almost interrupted by 
the feuds raging among the tribes along that road, especially 
between the E'rgebat and Tajakant on the one side and the 
various sections of the Tajakant on the other. This is the 
reason why in that year there were no large caravans at all, 
which in general arrive about the beginning of November, and 
leave in December or January. 

With regard to European manufactures, the road from Mo- 
rocco is still the most important for some articles, such as red 



ARTICLES OF EUROPEAN COMMERCE. 461 

cloth, coarse coverings, sashes, looking-glasses, cutlery, tobac- 
co ; while calico especially, bleached as well as unbleached, is 
also imported by way of Ghadatnes, and in such quantities of 
late that it has greatly excited the jealousy of the Morocco 
merchants. The inhabitants of Ghadames are certainly the 
chief agents in spreading this manufacture over the whole 
northwestern part of Africa, and, in consequence, several of 
the wealthier Ghadamsi merchants employ agents here. The 
most respectable among the foreign merchants in Timbuktu is 
Taleb Mohammed, who exercises, at the same time, a very 
considerable political influence ; and the wealthiest merchants 
from Morocco besides him, during the time of my stay, were 
El Mehedi, the astronomer, Mill 'a 'Abd e' Salam, the noble- 
man, and my friend the Sweri ; while among the Ghadamsi 
merchants, Mohammed ben Taleb, Sniisi ben Kyari, Moham- 
med Lebbe-Lebbe, Haj 'Ali ben Shawa, and Mohammed 
Weled el Kadhi, were those most worth mentioning. 

But to apply even to these first-rate merchants a European 
standard of wealth would be quite erroneous, the actual pro- 
perty of none of them exceeding probably 10,000 dollars, and 
even that being rather an exceptional case. Scarcely any of 
them transact business on a large scale, the greater part of 
them being merely agents for other merchants residing in Gha- 
dames, Swe>a (Mogador), Merakesh (Morocco), and Fas. 

The greater part of the European merchandise comes by 
way of Swera, where several European merchants reside, and 
from this quarter proceeds especially the common red cloth, 
which, together with calico, forms one of the chief articles of 
European trade brought into the market. All the calico which 
I saw bore the name of one and the same Manchester firm, 
printed upon it in Arabic letters. But I am quite unable, 
either with respect to this article or any other, to give an ac- 
count of the quantity brought into market. All the cutlery in 
Timbuktu is of English workmanship. Tea forms a standard 
article of consumption with the Arabs settled in and around 
the town ; for the natives it is rather too expensive a luxury. 

A feature which greatly distinguishes the market of Tim- 



468 CONTRABAND TOBACCO TRADE. 

biiktu from that of Kano, is the almost entire absence of that 
miserable kind of silk, or rather refuse, "twani" and "kun- 
dra," which forms the staple article in the market of Kano. 
Other articles also of the delicate Nuremberg manufacture are 
entirely wanting in this market ; such as the small round look- 
ing-glasses, called " lemm'a," which some time ago had almost 
a general currency in Kano. The market of Timbuktu, there- 
fore, though not so rich in quantity, surpasses the rival market 
of Kano in the quality of the merchandise. Bernuses, or Arab 
cloaks, furnished with a hood, also seem to be disposed of here 
to a considerable extent, although they must form too costly 
a dress for most of the officers at the courts of the petty chiefs, 
in the reduced state of all the kingdoms hereabouts ; and, at 
all events, they are much more rarely seen here than in the 
eastern part of Negroland. These bernuses, of course, are 
prepared by the Arabs and Moors in the north, but the cloth 
is of European manufacture. The calico imported constitutes 
a very important article. It is carried from here up the coun- 
try as far as Sansandi, although in the latter place it comes 
into competition with the same article which is brought from 
the western and southwestern coasts. 

Among the Arab merchandise tobacco forms a considerable 
article of consumption, especially that produced in Wadi Nun, 
and called, par excellence, "el warga," "the leaf," as it is 
not only smoked by the Arabs and natives in the country, as 
far as they are not exposed to the censure of the ruling race 
of the Fiilbe, but is even exported to Sansandi. I have already 
observed that tobacco constitutes a contraband article in all 
the towns where the Fiilbe of Hamda-AUaki exercise dominion, 
and in Timbuktu especially, where one can only indulge in 
this luxury in a clandestine manner. 

Tobacco, together with dates, forms also the chief article 
of import from Tawat, the species from that place being called 
fi el wargat," the leaves indicating its inferior character to the 
first-rate article from Wadi Nun. Dates and tobacco form 
articles of trade among the people of Tawat, the poor trades- 
men of that country possessing very little of themselves besides. 



EXPORTS. 469 

But the quantity of these articles imported has also been 
greatly overrated by those who have spoken of the commercial 
relations of these regions from that distance. At least I am 
sure that the whole of the time I was staying in the town only 
about twenty camel-loads of these two articles together were 
imported. 

With regard to exports, they consisted, at the time of my 
stay in the place, of very little besides gold and a moderate 
quantity of gum and wax, while ivory and slaves, as far as I 
was able to ascertain, seemed not to be exported to any con- 
siderable amount. However, a tolerable proportion of the 
entire export from these regions proceeds by way of A'rwan, 
without touching at Timbuktu. At any rate, those gentlemen 
who estimate the annual export of slaves from Negroland to 
Morocco at about 4000 are certainly mistaken, although in 
this, as well as in other respects, the exceptional and anarchi- 
cal state of the whole country at the time of my residence, and 
my own most critical situation, did not allow me to arrive at 
any positive results. Thus much is certain, that an immense 
field is here opened to European energy, to revive the trade 
which, under a stable government, formerly animated this 
quarter of the globe, and which might again flourish to great 
extent. For the situation of Timbuktu is of the highest com- 
mercial importance, lying as it does at the point where the 
great river of Western Africa, in a serpent-like winding, ap- 
proaches most closely to that outlying and most extensive oasis 
of "the far West" — Maghreb el Aksa, of the Mohammedan 
world — I mean Tawat, which forms the natural medium be- 
tween the commercial life of this fertile and populous region 
and the north ; and whether it be Timbuktu, Walata, or Gha- 
nata, there will always be in this neighborhood a great com- 
mercial entrepot, as long as mankind retain their tendency to 
international intercourse and exchange of produce. 

40 



470 CONVERSATION WITII THE SHEIKH. 



CHAPTER XXVIIL 

The sheikh's views on religion — Attempts against the Doctor's safety — 
Friendly disposition of the sheikh — Political parties in Timbuktu — 
Sidi Mohammed — The sheikh's camp near Timbuktu — Remarks on 
commercial intercourse with Timbuktu. 

Being enabled to collect a good deal of information, as far 
as my situation allowed, I did not choose to accompany the 
sheikh when he again went to the tents on the 24th of January. 
He promised that he would only stay a day or two, but he did 
not return until the 29th. On this occasion I took the liberty 
of reminding him that he was not over-scrupulous in keeping 
his word ; but, in his amiable way, he evasively replied, " that 
if a person had only one fault, or ' 'aib,' it was of no conse- 
quence." 

[A great deal of the time passed in the desert camp by Dr. 
Barth and his friend, the sheikh, was spent in conversation. 
Some of the sheikh's views are curious. The following is a 
specimen.] 

He was this day more communicative than usual, and sat a 
long time with myself and his pupils, delivering to us a lecture 
on the equal rank of the prophets, who, he said, had each of 
them one distinguishing quality, but that none of them ought 
to be preferred to the other. He dwelt particularly on the 
distinguished qualities of Moses, or Musa, who was a great 
favorite with him, although he was far from being friendly 
disposed toward the Jews, the spirit of Mohammed Ben 'Abd 
el Kerim el Maghili, who hated that nation from the bottom 
of his heart, and preached the Jihad against it, having com- 
municated itself to the Mohammedan inhabitants of this part 
of Negroland. 

At another time my friend entered, without any prejudice, 



RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION. 411 

into the subject of wine and pork, and he had not much to say 
against the argument with which I used to defend myself from 
attacks in this respect, viz., that while we believed religion 
to concern the soul and the dealings of men toward each 
other, we thought all that regarded food was left by the 
Creator to man himself; but, of course, he would have been 
greatly shocked if he had beheld the scenes exhibited every 
evening by gin-palaces in the midst of the very acme of Euro- 
pean civilization. 

At other times again, taking out of his small library the 
Arabic version of Hippocrates, which he valued extremely, he 
was very anxious for information as to the identity of the 
plauts mentioned by the Arab authors. This volume of Hip- 
pocrates had been a present from Captain Clapperton to Sul- 
tan Bello of Sokoto, from whom my friend had received it, 
among other articles, as an acknowledgment of his learning. 
I may assert, with full confidence, that those few books taken 
by the gallant Scotch captain into Central Africa have had a 
greater effect in reconciling the men of authority in Africa 
to the character of Europeans than the most costly present 
ever made to them ; and I hope, therefore, that gifts like these 
may not be looked upon grudgingly by people who would 
otherwise object to do anything which might seem to favor 
Mohammedanism. 

Timbuktu, February lUh. Although I had enjoyed a 
greater degree of security for some time, my situation, after a 
short respite, soon assumed again a serious character, and hos- 
tile elements were gathering from different quarters ; for, 
while a very important mission was just approaching from 
Hamda-Allahi, on the 25th we received the news that 'Abidin, 
that member of the family of Mukhtar who followed a policy 
entirely opposite to that of El Bakay, was reported to be near, 
and he was conducted into the town by Hammadi with con- 
siderable display. 

In the morning of the following day, just as the atmosphere 
changed from bright to gloomy, a powerful Piillo officer, and 
a prince of the blood, Hamedu, a son of Mohammed Lebbo, 



472 INDICATIONS OF A POLITICAL STORM. 

entered the town with a numerous troop on horseback and on 
foot, among whom were ten musketeers. They marched past 
my house on purpose, although the direct road from Kabara 
did not lead that way, in order to frighten me, while I, with 
the intention of showing them that they had entirely failed in 
their object, opened the door of my house, displaying in the 
hall all my fire-arms, and my people close at hand ready to 
use them. 

But my little band became more and more reduced, for, 
when the chief of my followers, the Mejebri, 'All el A'geren, 
saw a fresh storm gathering against me, he disclaimed any far- 
ther obligation toward me, notwithstanding the salary which 
he continued to receive. But, as I had given him up long be- 
fore, this farther manifestation of his faithlessness did not make 
a great impression upon me. On the other hand, I had 
attached to myself, by the present which I had bestowed upon 
him, the eldest brother of the family upon whose good-will, 
under the present circumstances, a great deal depended. 

Thus approached the 27th of February, when the real cha- 
racter of the mission from Hamda-Allahi, of which Hamedu 
had only been the forerunner, was disclosed. Having been in 
a lazy and rather melancholy mood the whole day, I was re- 
clining on my simple couch in the evening, when I was sur- 
prised by the sheikh's nephew entering abruptly, and, although 
betraying by his sad and serious countenance that something 
very grave oppressed his mind, yet squatting silently down 
without being able or feeling inclined to say a word. Scarcely 
had he left me, when my Tawati friend, Mohammed el 'Aish, 
who continued to show me a great deal of kindness and sym- 
pathy, called me into the sheikh's presence. I was ushered in 
with great precaution through the hall and up the narrow 
winding staircase, and found the three brothers in the terrace- 
room engaged in serious consultation. 

After I had taken my seat they informed me that the Fullan 
were making a last attempt against my safety, and that, toge- 
ther with Kauri, the former emir, a distinguished nobleman 
of the name of Mohammed el Ferreji, had arrived in Kabara 



Sl'DI MOHAMMED. 4?3 

accompanied by a troop of about one hundred men, and that 
the latter messenger had addressed to my host two letters of 
very different character and tenor, one being full of manifesta- 
tions of friendship, and the other couched in most threatening 
terms, to the effect that something serious would happen if he 
did not send me off before he (Ferreji) entered the town. But 
no active course of proceedings was resolved upon, although 
Mohammed, who was the most energetic of the three, pro- 
posed that we should mount on horseback and pass the night 
on the road to Kabara, partly in order to prevent the inhabi- 
tants of the town from joining the Fullan in that place, in con- 
formity with the order which they had received, partly in 
order to intercept anything that might come from the hostile 
camp. While proposing this energetic measure, the chief of 
A'zawad was playing with his four-barrelled musket, which, 
even under these momentous circumstances, excited my cu- 
riosity almost more than anything else, as I had never seen 
anything like it in Europe. It was of excellent workmanship, 
but I could not say of what peculiar character, as it did not 
bear any distinct mark of nationality. Of course I suspected, 
when I first beheld it, that it had belonged to the late unfortunate 
Major Laing, but I was distinctly assured by all the people, 
though I would scarcely believe it, that this was not the case, 
and that it had been purchased from American traders at Por- 
tendik. At present it was rather short, the uppermost part 
having been taken off in consequence of an accident ; but it 
was, nevertheless, a very useful weapon, and not at all heavy. 
It was made for flints, there being only two cocks, but a can- 
non to each barrel. 

Having discussed various proposals with regard to my 
safety, with characteristic slowness, and coupling serious ob- 
servations with various amusing stories, Sidi Mohammed sat 
down and wrote a formal protest in my favor, and sent it to 
the Emir Kauri. 

A messenger from the emir having arrived, the sheikh him- 
self made a long speech, telling him under what circumstances 
I had reached this place, and that now I had once placed my- 
40* 



4T4 A SLEEPLESS NIGHT. 

self under his protection, there was nothing bnt honorable 
peace, both for himself and his guest, or war. Upon this the 
messenger observed, in an ironical manner, that, El Ferreji 
(who had been sent to compromise with the sheikh) being a 
learned man like himself, everything would end well ; meaning 
that they would know, if not able to succeed by force, how to 
vanquish him with arguments taken from their creed. Another 
protest having been sent to Taleb Mohammed, who, although 
nothing but a merchant, exercised a great political influence in 
this anarchical place, I went home to refresh myself with a cup 
of tea, and then made preparations for the eventual defence of 
my house, and for hiding the more valuable of my effects : 
after which I returned to the residence of El Bakay about mid- 
night, and found the holy man himself, armed with a double- 
barrelled gun, about to enter the great segifa, or parlor, which 
he had allotted to his faithful and discreet storekeeper, Taleb 
el Wafi. Here we sat down ; and soon about forty men 
gathered round us, armed partly with spears and partly with 
muskets, when, after a great deal of useless talk as to what 
was to be done, it was agreed upon to send one messenger to 
the Tawarek chiefs, Rumman and Mushtaba, whose acquaint- 
ance I had made on a former occasion, and who at present 
were encamped in Musherrek. 

Having thus sat up the whole night, full of curious reflec- 
tions on these tragi-comic scenes, I returned to my quarters 
about five o'clock in the morning, and endeavored to raise my 
exhausted spirits by means of some coffee. However, our 
precautions, insufficient as they might seem to a European, 
had had their full effect, and the Piillo messenger did not dare 
to enter the town before noon, and even then, although joined 
by about sixty horsemen from the townspeople, was afraid to 
traverse our warlike quarter. 

Political circumstances were not quite so favorable as my 
host wanted to represent them to me; as, like many other 
people, he was not very particular, when endeavoring to obtain 
a good object, about saying things that were not quite true ; 
and the following day, when Ferreji paid a visit to the sheikh, 



ARRIVAL OF THE KEL-U'lLI. 4T5 

he designated me as a war-chief and a "meharebi, " or free- 
booter, who ought not to he allowed to remain any longer in 
the town. Altogether it was fortunate that El Bakay had 
provided for the worst by sending for the Kel-iilli, who arrived 
in the course of the afternoon, about sixty strong, with great 
military demonstrations and beating of shields. It was on 
this occasion that I first made the acquaintance of this warlike 
tribe, who, notwithstanding their degraded position as Imghad, 
have made themselves conspicuous by totally annihilating the 
formerly powerful tribe of the I'gelad and I'medidderen, who 
in former times ruled over Timbuktu and were hostile to the 
Kunta. The Kel-ulli are distinguished among all the tribes 
of the neighborhood by three qualities which, to the European, 
would scarcely seem possible to be united in the same person, 
but which are not unfrequently found combined in the Arab 
tribes, viz., "rejela," or valor; "sirge," or thievishness ; and 
" dhiyafa," or generous hospitality. 

[There were two political parties in Timbuktu, as well as in 
other countries, and one of them made use of Dr. Barth's resi- 
dence there, as a pretext for opposing and annoying the 
sheikh. This led to perpetual disputes and quarrels, in which 
he was ostensibly, but the power of the sheikh, his protector, 
was really, the object of attack. The opposers of the sheikh 
often threatened the Doctor's life, unless he should leave 
the city ; but they appear to have taken care not to kill him. 
This state of things lasted many months, the sheikh always 
promising the Doctor to escort him out of his dominions, and 
always disappointing him. The following entry in the Doc- 
tor's diary, refers to one of the frequent occasions on which he 
was residing with the sheikh, at the camp in the desert near 
Timbuktu.] 

March 2tth. This was the day on which the sheikh had 
promised to bring out my luggage, but, to my great disappoint- 
ment, he came empty-handed ; and he had much to say about 
the expected arrival of Alkiittabu, the chief Somki, it was 
stated, having been called from A'ribinda to meet his liege 
lord at Glhergo (pronounced Rergo) with fifteen boats. But, 



476 FURTHER DIFFICULTIES. 

as the sequel showed, this was a mere stratagem of that crafty 
chief, who intended to make an unexpected foray upon his foes 
the Kel-hekikan, in which enterprise he was perfectly success- 
ful, killing about a dozen of that already greatly reduced tribe. 
While the sheikh boasted of the innumerable host which his 
friend the Tarki chief carried with him, I was greatly amused 
at learning from an TTraghen, who had come to pay us a visit, 
that Alkuttabu had only 300 fighting men with him at the 
time. I also observed with a certain degree of satisfaction 
that my kindly host became aware of what I was subjected to 
day by day ; for, while on a visit to my tent, one of the flies 
that tormented me stung him so severely as to draw blood ; 
and I then showed him my poor horse, which was suffering 
dreadfully, although at times we lighted a small fire in order to 
afford him some relief. 

During my stay here, I had become better acquainted with 
the sheikh's brother, Sidi Mohammed, and I had convinced 
myself that he was a straightforward man, although certainly 
not very friendly disposed toward Christians in general. Next 
morning, therefore, when he and the sheikh were consulting 
together, I complained bitterly of their breaking their word so 
repeatedly and putting off my departure so continually. They 
then endeavored to soothe my disappointment, and, as they 
were going into the town, wanted me to go along with them, 
but I declined. In consequence of this remonstrance they 
sent me from the town the sheikh's nephew, who had been ill 
for several days, to bear me company and to take care of me, 
and this was a great treat in my solitary situation, as I had 
nobody to speak to. However, new difficulties appeared to 
arise with regard to my departure, and, during the next few 
days, I received several curious messages, the real purport of 
which I was quite at a loss to understand. But El Bakay at 
length promised that I should only have to wait two days 
longer, when he would go with me himself; but it was not till 
the very last day in March that he returned from the town to 
the camp, and, although he at length brought my luggage 
with him, my real departure was even then still far remote. 



I'M 




Ss ^*imiemK 



(478) 



LIFE IN THE CAMP. 4? 9 

During this time I had especially to contend against the in- 
trigues of my head man 'Ali el A'geren, who seemed to find 
the stay in Timbuktu at my expense (where he himself was 
quite safe and well off, and could do what he liked) quite plea- 
sant and comfortable. He was therefore in no hurry to leave, 
but rather tried every means in his power to counteract my en- 
deavors for a speedy departure. An extraordinary degree of 
patience was therefore necessary on my part, and I was obliged 
to seek relief from the tediousness of my stay here in every 
little circumstance that broke the uniform tenor of my mono- 
tonous life. 

A great source of entertainment to me were the young sons 
of my protector, Baba A'hmed and Zen el 'Abidin, who were 
continually wrangling about all sorts of articles, whether they 
belonged to the one or the other; my tent and my horse form- 
ing the chief objects of their childish dispute. And I was 
greatly amused, at times, at the younger boy placing himself 
at the entrance of my tent, and protesting that it was Zen el 
'Abidin's tent, and preventing his elder brother from approach- 
ing it. The plate opposite gives a fair idea of the whole life 
of this desert camp, with its liberty, its cheerfulness, and its 
tediousness. 

Our camp also afforded me at times some other amusement ; 
for although the Tawarek had returned to their usual seats, the 
3-wanin were still kept back here by their fear of the Kel-heki- 
kan, and they occasionally got up a national play, which 
caused a little diversion. But I did not like these people 
nearly so well as the wild I'mdshagh ; for, having become 
degraded by being subjected to the caprices of stronger tribes, 
they have almost entirely lost that independent spirit which is 
so prepossessing in the son of the desert, even though he be 
the greatest ruffian. 

One afternoon they collected round my tent and began boast- 
ing of what they had done for me. They told me that the 
Fullan had written to their sheikh, Weled 'Abeda, accusing 
the Gwanin that, in the night when El Bakay was bringing me 
back to Timbuktu, they had been fighting against them, and, 



480 a'lawa'te. 

among other mischief, had killed a horse belonging to them, and 
that their chief had answered that his people had done well in 
defending me, and that nobody should hurt me after I had once 
succeeded in placing myself under the sheikh's protection. 
And this, be it remembered, was the self-same chief who had 
murdered Major Laing ; and one or the other of these very 
Gwanin, with whom I had dealings every day, were perhaps 
implicated in that very murder. I was thus led to inquire of 
these people whether there were no papers remaining of that 
unfortunate traveller, and was told that they were all scattered 
or made away with ; but I learned, to my great surprise, that 
there were letters for myself in A'zawad, which had arrived 
from the east ; and although these people were not able, or did 
not feel inclined, to give me full information about this matter, 
which was of so much interest to myself, the fact proved after- 
ward to be quite true ; but it was a long time before I got 
possession of those letters. 

Altogether my situation required an extraordinary amount 
of forbearance, for A'lawate* also troubled me again with his 
begging propensities. But when he came himself to take leave 
of me, I told him the time for presents was now past ; where- 
upon he said, that he was aware that if I wanted to give I 
gave, meaning that it was only the want of good will that made 
me not comply with his wish. I assured him that I had given 
him a great many presents against my own inclination. He 
owned that he had driven a rather hard bargain with me, but, 
when he wanted me to acknowledge at least that he had done 
me no personal harm, I told him that the reason was rather his 
want of power than his want of inclination, and that, although 
I had nothing to object to him in other respects, I should not 
like to trust myself in his hands alone in the wilderness. 

The difficulties which a place like Timbuktu presents to a 
free commercial intercourse with Europeans are very great. For 
while the remarkable situation of the town, at the edge of the 

[* A'lawate was the sheikh's brother who had received Dr. Barth on his 
arrival. He belonged to the political party opposed to the sheikh, and 
was secretly opposed to the Doctor. — Ed.] 



GENERAL POLITICAL RELATIONS. 481 

desert and on the border of various races, in the present 
degenerated condition of the native kingdoms, makes a strong 
government very difficult, nay, almost impossible, its distance 
from either the west coast or the mouth of the Niger is very 
considerable. But, on the other hand, the great importance 
of its situation at the northern curve or elbow of that majestic 
river, which, in an immense sweep encompasses the whole 
southern half of North-Central Africa, including countries 
densely populated and of the greatest productive capabilities, 
renders it most desirable to open it to European commerce, 
while the river itself affords immense facilities for such a pur- 
pose. For, although the town is nearer to the French settle- 
ments in Algeria on the one side, and those on the Senegal on 
the other, yet it is separated from the former by a tract of 
frightful desert, while between it and the Senegal lies an elevated 
tract of country, nay, along the nearest road a mountain chain 
extends of tolerable height. Farther : we have here a family 
which, long before the French commenced their conquest of 
Algeria, exhibited their friendly feelings toward the English in 
an unquestionable manner, and at the present moment the most 
distinguished member of this family is most anxious to open 
free intercourse with the English. Even in the event of the 
greatest success of the French policy in Africa, they will never 
effect the conquest of this region. On the other hand, if a 
liberal government were secured to Timbuktu, an immense field 
might be opened to European commerce, and thus the whole 
of this part of the world might again be subjected to a whole- 
some organization. 



41 



482 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

Dr. Barth attempts to leave Timbuktu — The reasons for his return — Inci- 
dents on the return — Apprehensions of a French invasion from Algeria 
— The Tawarek camp at Amelelle — Return to the neighborhood of 
Timbuktu. 

I had been obliged to leave the town on the 17th of March, 
in consequence of the brothers of the sheikh having deemed 
such a step essential for the security of the town, and advan- 
tageous to their own personal interest. Since that time my 
departure had been earnestly discussed almost daily, but, 
nevertheless, amid infinite delays and procrastinations, the 19th 
of April had arrived before we at length set out from our en- 
campment, situated at the head of the remarkable and highly- 
indented creek of Bdse-bango. 

Notwithstanding the importance of the day, my excellent 
friend the Sheikh el Bakay could not even then overcome his 
habitual custom of taking matters easy. He slept till a late 
hour in the morning, while his pupils were disputing with the 
owners of the camels which had been hired for the journey, and 
who would not stir. At length my friend got up, and our 
sluggish caravan left the encampment. There were, besides 
our own camels, a good many asses belonging to the Gwanin, 
and laden with cotton strips. It was past eleven o'clock, and 
the sun had already become very troublesome, when we left the 
camp. The chief was so extremely fond of his wife and chil- 
dren, that it was an affair of some importance to take leave 
of them. I myself had become sincerely attached to his little 
boys, especially the youngest one, Zen el 'Abidin, who, I am 
led to hope, will remember his friend 'Abd el Kerim ; but, 
notwithstanding my discontent at my protector's want of energy, 
I could not be angry with him, and, when he asked me whether 



ARAB ENCAMPMENT. 483 

he had now deceived me or kept his word, I could not but 
praise his conduct, although I told him that I must first see the 
end of it. He smiled, and turning to his companion, the old 
Haiballah (Habib Allah), who had come from A'zawad to 
spend some time in his company, asked him whether I was not 
too mistrustful ; but the event unluckily proved that I was not. 

The vegetation in the neighborhood of Bose-bango is ex- 
tremely rich, but, as we advanced, gradually the trees ceased, 
with the exception of the kalgo, the bush so often mentioned 
by me in Hausa, and which here begins to be very common. I 
was greatly disappointed in my expectation of making a good 
day's march, for, after proceeding a little more than three miles, 
I saw my tent, which had gone ira advance, pitched in the 
neighborhood of an encampment of Arabs belonging to the 
tribe of the Ergageda. Here we staid the remainder, of the 
day, enjoying the hospitality of these people, who had to pay 
dearly for the honor of such a visit ; for the pupils of my friend, 
who had capital appetites, required a great deal of substantial 
nourishment to satisfy their cravings, and, besides a dozen 
dishes of rice, and a great quantity of milk, two oxen had to 
be slaughtered by our hosts. These Arabs, who formed here 
an encampment of about twenty-five spacious tents, made of 
sheepskins or farrwel, have no camels, and possess only a few 
cows, their principal herds being sheep and goats, besides a 
large number of asses. They have been settled in this district, 
near the river, since the time when Sidi Mukhtar, the elder 
brother of El Bakay, established himself in Timbuktu, that is 
to say, in the year 1832. 

Although I should have liked much better to have made at 
once a fair start on our journey, I was glad that we had at 
least set out at all, and, lying down in the shade of a small 
kalgo-tree, I indulged in the hope that in a period of from 
forty to fifty days I might reach Sokoto ; but I had no idea of 
the unfavorable circumstances which were gathering to frus- 
trate my hopes. 

[The march lasted only till the 30th of April, when, for po- 



484 RETURN WESTWARD. 

litical reasons, the sheikh decided to return to the immediate 
neighborhood of Timbuktu.] 

The endeavor to preserve the unity of the whole tribe of the 
Awelimmiden, which my protector had sincerely at heart, and 
thus to keep up the friendly relation of this tribe with that of 
the Igwadaren, induced him to postpone my interests and to 
return once more westward, in order to exert his utmost to 
settle this serious affair ; for the very tribe of the Igwadaren, 
from the first, when they were settled in A'zawad, had been 
the protectors of the Kunta, the tribe to which the family of 
Mukhtar belonged, and had especially defended them against 
the hostilities of the Fgelad, by whose subjection the former 
had founded their power. El Bakay could not but see with 
the most heartfelt sorrow his former supporters likely to be- 
come the auxiliaries of his enemies ; and his brother, Sidi Mo- 
hammed, whom he had left to fill his place in Timbuktu during 
his absence, had sent an express messenger from the town, re- 
questing him to come, in order that he might consult with him 
upon the state of affairs. 

As for myself, being anxious about my own interest, and 
fearing even for my life, which I was convinced was seriously 
threatened by another return toward Timbuktu, I employed 
every means in my power to persuade my friend to allow me to 
pursue my journey eastward, in the company of those pupils 
and followers of his whom he had promised to send along with 
me. But he would not consent to this, and I felt extremely 
dejected at the time, and could not but regard this retrograde 
journey to Timbuktu as a most unfortunate event. 

Just at this time the news was brought, by way of Ghada- 
mes, of the French having completely vanquished the Shaamba, 
and made an expedition to Wargela and Metlili. In conse- 
quence of this report, the fear of the progress of these foreign 
and hated intruders into the interior of these regions became 
very general, and caused suspicion to attach to me, as these 
people could not but think that my journey to their country 
had some connection with the expedition of the French. But, 
taking all the circumstances into account, I found afterward 



APPROACH OF THE RAINY SEASON. 485 

that my friend was altogether right in postponing for the time 
my journey eastward. 

Sunday, April 30th. This was the sad day when, with the 
most gloomy forebodings, I began my return-journey toward 
the west. There had been the most evident signs of the ap- 
proach of the rainy season, which, in the zone farther to the 
south, had already set in, when, after so many reiterated de- 
lays, I was obliged once more to return toward that very 
place which I had felt so happy in having at length left be- 
hind me. 

My protector was well aware of the state of my feelings, 
and, while the people were loading the camels, he came to me, 
and once more excused himself on account of this retrograde 
movement. There were, besides myself, some Arabs of the 
tribe of Gwanin, who wanted to go on to G-hergo in order to 
buy tobacco, and who now likewise were obliged to return once 
more to the westward, as they had no guarantee for their se- 
curity in making the journey alone. 

Friday, May bth. Although I had been promised that we 
should certainly not pass this place on our return westward, 
nevertheless, in the morning the order was suddenly given to 
decamp ; and on we went, A'khbi in the van and we in the 
rear, passing many small temporary encampments of the Ig- 
wadaren, who were exiling themselves from their own country. 
Having thus made a short march of about four miles, through 
a country now rising in sandy downs, covered with siwak and 
dum bush, at other times spreading out in low swampy meadow- 
grounds, and leaving I'ndikuway on our left, we encamped 
again in the midst of a swamp, at a short distance from the 
bank of the river. Fortunately, there was some rising ground, 
opening a fine view over the river, which here formed an arm 
of about 600 yards in breadth, while the opposite shore of 
A'ribinda exhibited a very pleasant background. Cautiously 
I pitched my tent as high as possible, with the door looking 
toward the river, in order to console myself with the aspect of 
the stream. A beautiful jeja or caoutchouc tree, here called 
enderen, which I scarcely remember to have seen anywhere 
41* 



486 LADY TRAVELLERS. 

else in the whole of this district, gave life and animation to the 
encampment. A few miles toward the west, the high sandy 
downs of TJ'le Teharge formed also an object of great interest. 

It was extremely fortunate that the ground of this encamp- 
ment did not present such a uniform level as in our last day's 
amazagh, for in the afternoon we were visited by a violent 
tempest, which threw back the fence that we had erected 
around our camping-ground upon ourselves and our horses, 
and threatened to tear the tent to pieces : then, having made 
the round of the whole horizon, it returned once more from 
the north and discharged itself in a terrific shower, which lasted 
more than two hours, and changed the whole of the lower part 
of the plain into a large lake. 

This thunder-storm afforded evident proofs of the full power 
of the rainy season ; and as I had not yet even begun my long 
journey eastward, through districts so full of large rivers and 
swampy valleys, my feelings may be more easily imagined than 
described. I felt very dissatisfied with the Sheikh el Bakay, 
and he, on his part, was well aware of it. His own trust- 
worthy and amiable character inspired me with confidence that 
I should at length get safely out of all my trouble ; but an im- 
mense amount of Job-like patience was required, for we staid 
in this encampment the five following days. 

But we had a little intercourse with some remarkable per- 
sons which gave me some occupation. The most interesting 
of the passers-by were three noble ladies of the tribe of the 
Kel-hekikan, well mounted on camels in an open cage, or 
jakhfa, of rather simple structure, with the exception of the 
rich ornament on the head of the animal, as is represented in 
the accompanying wood-cut. But the ladies themselves afforded 
an interesting sight, being well formed, of rather full propor- 
tions, though very plainly dressed. Then the whole of the 
Igwadaren, male and female, passed by close to my tent. There 
were, besides, the Kel-terarart and the Kel-tamula.it, or, as 
the Arabs called them, A'hel e' Saul ; and I had a long con- 
versation with a troop of eight horsemen of the latter, who, 
in the evening, came to my tent in order to pay their respects 



CONGREGATION OF DIFFERENT CHIEFS. 



487 




A Lady Traveller. 



to me. I reciprocated fully their protestations of friendship, 
and requested one of the two kinsmen of the chief Saul, who 
were among this troop, to accompany me on my journey east- 
ward, promising to see him safe to Mekka. But, although he 
greatly valued my offer, he was afraid of the Arewan or Kel- 
gere\ and of the inhabitants of A'ir. 

There was a great congregation of different chiefs with the 
Sheikh el Bakay, and he flattered himself that he had made 
peace between inveterate enemies, such as E' T6ni and Wdgh- 
dugu ; but the sequel showed that he was greatly mistaken, for 
these petty tribes cannot remain quiet for a moment. Great 
numbers of the Shemman-A'mmas were hovering round us, all 
of them begging for food. But my spirits were too much im- 
bittered to exercise great hospitality from the small stock of 
my provisions which were fast dwindling away. Indeed, the 
stores which I had laid in, in the hope that they would last 
me until I reached Say, were almost consumed, and I was very 
glad to obtain a small supply of milk, which I usually bought 
with looking-glasses, or rather rewarded the gifts of the people 
by the acknowledgment of such a present. But these people 
were really very miserably off, and almost in a starving condi- 
tion, all their property having been taken from them. They 
informed me that the Igwadaren had plundered twelve villages 



488 EXCITING NEWS. 

along the Eghirreu, among others those of Bamba, E'gedesh, 
Asliman, and Zdmgoy. 

The river was enlivened the whole daylong with boats going 
up and down, and some of the people asserted that these boats 
belonged to the Fiilbe, who were looking out for an oppor- 
tunity to strike a blow. The whole world seemed to be in a 
state of revolution. The news from the north of the advance 
of the French, the particulars of which, of course, could not 
but become greatly exaggerated, as the report was carried from 
tribe to tribe, excited my friend greatly, and the several letters, 
written by the people of Tawat who were resident in Timbuktu, . 
having reference to the same event, with which the messenger 
whom he had sent to that place returned, did not fail to 
increase his anxiety. 

All these people seemed to be inspired with the same fear, 
that the French might without any farther delay march from 
el Golea, which they were said to have occupied, upon Tim- 
buktu, or at least upon Tawat. On the whole it was very for- 
tunate, indeed, that I was not in the town at this juncture, as 
in the first excitement these very people from Tawat, who pre- 
viously had taken me under their especial protection, and de- 
fended me repeatedly, would have contributed to my ruin, as, 
from their general prejudice against a Christian, they lost all 
distinction between English and French, and represented me 
as a spy whose proceedings were connected with that expedi- 
tion from the north. 

They now urgently requested the sheikh to write a letter to 
the whole community of Tawat, and to stimulate them to make 
an attack upon Wargela conjointly with the Hogar and A'z- 
gar ; but I did all in my power to prevent him from acceding 
to such a proposal, although he thought that I was greatly 
underrating the military strength of the people of Tawat. 
However, although I succeeded in preventing such a bold 
stroke of policy, I could not prevent his writing a letter to the 
French, in which he interdicted them from penetrating farther 
into the interior, or entering the desert, under any pretext 
whatever, except as single travellers. He also wanted me to 



REMOVAL OP THE CAMP. 489 

write immediately to Tripoli, to request that an Englishman 
should go as consul to Tawat ; but I told him that this was 
not so easily done, and that he must first be able to offer full 
guarantee that the agent should be respected. 

In my opinion it would be better if the French would leave 
the inhabitants of Tawat to themselves, merely obliging them 
to respect Europeans, and keep open the road to the interior ; 
but although at that time I was not fully aware of the inti- 
mate alliance which had been entered into between the French 
and the English, I was persuaded that the latter neither could 
nor would protect the people of Tawat against any aggressive 
policy of the French, except by peaceable means, as Tawat is 
pre-eminently situated within the range of their own com- 
merce. If both the English and the French could agree on a 
certain line of policy with regard to the tribes of the interior, 
those extensive regions might, I think, be easily opened to 
peaceful intercourse. Be this as it may, under the pressure of 
circumstances, I found myself obliged to affix my name to the 
letter written by the sheikh, as having been presented at the 
time, and candor imposed upon me the duty of not signing a 
wrong name. 

All this excitement, which was disagreeable enough, had, 
however, one great advantage for me, as I was now informed 
that letters had reached my address, and that I should have 
them ; but I was astonished to hear that these letters had 
arrived in A'zawad some months previously. I expostulated 
very strongly with my friend upon this circumstance, telling 
him that if they wanted friendship and "imana," or security 
of intercourse with us, they ought to be far more strict in 
observing the conditions consequent upon such a relation. I 
then received the promise that I should have the letters in a 
few days. 

Wednesday, May 10th. Our hosts the Kel-gdgi removed 
their encampment, and we followed them, although my pro- 
tector had repeatedly assured me that in our retrograde move- 
ment we should certainly not have to pass the fine caoutchouc- 
tree that adorned our encampment. Leaving the high sandy 



490 INTERESTING SCENERY. 

downs of TJ'le-Teharge, on the banks of the river, we kept 
around the extensive swampy meadow-ground which spreads 
out behind them, several small encampments of the wandering 
Tawarek enlivening the green border of the swamp. Crossing, 
then, some rising ground beyond the reach of the wide ex- 
panse of shallow backwaters connected with the river, we came 
to the well-known creek of Amalelle, and followed its northerly 
shore till we reached its source or head, where our friend 
A'khbi had taken up his encampment in the midst of a 
swampy meadow-ground, which afforded rich pasture to his 
numerous herds of cattle ; for, as I have had occasion repeat- 
edly to state, the Tawarek think nothing of encamping in the 
midst of a swamp. 

As for ourselves, we were obliged to look out for some 
better-protected and drier spot, and therefore ascended the 
sandy downs, which rise to a considerable elevation, and are 
well adorned with talha- trees and siwak, or Capparis sodata. 
Having pitched my tent in the midst of an old fence, or 
zeriba, I stretched myself out in the cool shade, and, forget- 
ting for a moment the unpleasant character of my situation, 
enjoyed the interesting scenery of the landscape, which was 
highly characteristic of the labyrinth of backwaters and creeks 
which are connected with this large river of Western Central 
Africa. 

At the foot of the downs was the encampment of our friends 
the Tawarek, with its larger and smaller leathern tents, some 
of them open and presenting the interior of these simple 
movable dwellings ; beyond, the swampy creek, enlivened by 
a numerous herd of cattle half immersed in the water ; then a 
dense border of vegetation, and beyond in the distance, the 
white sandy downs of Ernesse, with a small strip of the river. 
I made a sketch of this pleasant and animated locality, which 
is represented in the plate opposite. The scenery was particu- 
larly beautiful in the moonlight when I ascended the ridge of 
the downs, which rise to about 150 feet in height. In the 
evening I received a little milk from the wife of one of the 
chiefs of the Kel-gdgi of the name of Lammege, who was a 



■';'! i.i' 




j I 



111 '" 
1,1,1 1 





ill All 



!i III I 



i ■ 



rill I 
II II 1 " 1 



II 



111 
I 



! 



Ill i 



II 



(»1) 



tawa'rek women. 493 

good-looking woman, and to whom I made a present of a 
looking-glass and a few needles in return. The Tawarek, 
while they are fond of their wives, and almost entirely abstain 
from polygamy, are not at all jealous; and the degree of 
liberty which the women enjoy is astonishing ; but, according 
to all that I have heard, instances of faithlessness are very rare 
among the nobler tribes. Among the degraded sections, how- 
ever, and especially among the Kel e' Siik, female chastity ap- 
pears to be less highly esteemed, as we find to be the case also 
among many Berber tribes at the time when El Bekri wrote 
his interesting account of Africa. 

Meanwhile my good and benevolent protector was in a most 
unpleasant dilemma, between his regard for his own interest 
and his respect for myself. At length, after mature considera- 
tion, the sheikh had decided that I, together with the greater 
part of his followers, should go to Ernesse, there to await his 
return, while he himself intended to approach still nearer to 
Timbuktu, although he affirmed that he would not enter the 
town under any condition. 

Thus we separated the next morning, and I took leave of 
the friends whom I had made among the tribe of the Igwa- 
daren. These people were leaving their former homes and 
their former allies, in order to seek new dwelling-places and 
new friends. 

[The camp was soon removed from Ernesse to the high 
sandy downs of U'le-Teharge, where the party waited for the 
return of the sheikh from his old camp near Timbuktu. ] 

From our former encampment in Ernesse I had sent my ser- 
vant, Mohammed el Gatrdni, into the town in order to pro- 
cure me a supply of the most necessary provisions, as my 
former stock was entirely consumed ; and it was fortunate, on 
this account, that I had saved 5000 shells, which I was able 
to give him for this purpose. He now joined us again in this 
place on the 14th, and, of course, every one hastened to learn 
what news he had brought from the town and from the camp 
of the sheikh. He had arrived in Timbuktu a little before 
sunset, and, having finished without delay his purchases of 
42 



494 FINAL START. 

the articles wanted by me, immediately hurried away to the 
camp of my protector ; for, as soon as the news of the arrival 
of my servant had got abroad in the town in conjunction with 
the return of the sheikh to his camp, the utmost excitement 
prevailed among the townspeople, who fancied that I myself 
was returning, and, in consequence, the alarm-drum was 
beaten. My servant also informed me that the Tawatiye 
themselves were greatly excited against me, as if I had had 
anything to do with the proceedings of the French against 
Wargela ; and he assured me that, if I had still been in the 
town, they would have been the first to have threatened my 
life. He had only slept one night in the camp, and then left 
early the following morning, and therefore knew nothing about 
our protector's coming, but he confirmed the fact that there 
were letters for me. Fortunately, on returning, he had been 
informed that we had changed our camping-ground, and find- 
ing a guide, he had been able to join us without delay. The 
sunlye of negro-millet fetched at the time, in the market of 
Timbuktu, 4500 ; a large block of salt of about 60 lb. weight, 
5000 ; and kola nuts, from 80 to 100 shells each. With my 
limited supply of means it was fortunate that I never became 
accustomed to the latter luxury. 



CHAPTER XXX. 



Final departure from Timbuktu — Letters from England — Ghergo — The 
family of the Sheikh — Gogo. 

Wednesday, May Wh. About noon the whole encampment 
was thrown into a state of the greatest excitement by the ar- 
rival of two of the sheikh's followers, who informed us that 
our friend had not only left the camp, but had even passed us, 
keeping along the northern border of the swamp which 
stretched behind our camping-ground. All was joy and ex- 
citement, and in an instant my tent was struck and my luggage 



LETTERS FROM ENGLAND. 495 

arranged on the backs of the camels. But we had to take a 
very roundabout way to get out of this place, surrounded and 
insulated as it was by deep swamps. We had just marched 
three hours when we found ourselves opposite our encampment 
on the downs, separated from them by the swampy ground of 
about half a mile in extent. 

Uncertain as to the direction which our friend had taken, 
we now began to rove about, here and there, in search of him. 
Leaving then behind us the low downs, we entered again low 
swampy ground, and at length, after having traversed a 
thickly-wooded district, ascertained the spot whither the sheikh 
had betaken himself, which was at a place called A'kale, the 
eminence on the bank of the river being called E'm-alawen. 
But, when we at length reached it, we found the holy man 
sleeping in the shade of a siwak, or Capparis, and the noise 
of our horses, as we came galloping along, was not sufficient 
to awaken him from his deep slumber. Such was the mild and 
inoffensive character of this man, in the midst of these warlike 
and lawless hordes. 

Waiting till my protector should rise from his peaceful slum- 
ber, I sat down in the shade of a rich siwak, enjoying the faint 
prospect of my journey home, now opening before me. 

At length my friend awoke, and I went to him. He re- 
ceived me a gentle smile, telling me that he was now ready to 
conduct me on my journey without any farther delay or ob- 
struction, and handing me at the same time a parcel of letters 
and papers. There were copies of two letters from Lord John 
Russell, of the 19th February, 1853 ; one from Lord Claren- 
don, of the 24th of the same month ; a letter from Chevalier 
Bunsen ; another from Colonel Hermann ; and two from her 
majesty's agent in Eezzan. There were no other letters, either 
from home or from any of my friends ; but there were, besides, 
ten Galignanis, and a number of the Athenaeum, of the 19th 
March, 1853. 

I can scarcely describe the intense delight I felt at hearing 
again from Europe, but still more satisfactory to me was the 
general letter of Lord John Russell, which expressed the warm- 



496 THE ZANGWAY. 

est interest in my proceedings. The other letters chiefly con- 
cerned the sending out of Dr. Yogel and his companions, 
which opened to me the prospect of finding some European 
society in Bdrnu, if I should succeed in reaching my African 
head-quarters in safety. But of the expedition to the Tsadda 
or Benuwe, which had started for its destination some time 
previously to the date of my receiving these letters, I obtained 
no intimation by this opportunity ; and, indeed, did not obtain 
the slightest hint of that undertaking, of which I myself was 
to form a part, till December, when it had already returned to 
England. 

Thursday, May 18th. It was with a very pleasant feeling 
that I at length found myself in the company of my noble host, 
again pursuing my journey eastward ; and I enjoyed the pecu- 
liar features of the country with tolerable ease and comfort. 
The varied composition of our troop, among whom there were 
several well-disposed friends, afforded also much relief. 

Saturday, May 20th. We were to start at a very early hour, 
but the difficulty of making out the right path among these 
numerous swamps and creeks kept us back till all our com- 
panions were ready. We then had to turn round a very diffi- 
cult swamp, which had now begun to dry up, and where we 
observed the first traces of the wild hog that I had hitherto 
seen along this part of the Niger. After we had left this 
swamp behind us, the river exhibited its truly magnificent cha- 
racter, and we proceeded close along the border of its limpid 
waters, on a beautiful sandy beach, our left being shut in by 
high sandy downs, richly clad with dum palms and tagelalet. 

It was here, for the first time, that I observed the traces of 
the zangway. This animal appears to be quite distinct from 
the crocodile, and perhaps resembles the American iguana. 
It is much smaller than the crocodile ; and its footprint indi- 
cated a much broader foot, the toes being apparently connected 
by a continuous membrane. Unfortunately I never obtained 
a sight of the animal itself, but only observed its footprints in 
the sand : it attains, as it seems, only to the length of from 
six to eight feet. 



ghe'rgo. 497 

[On the 21st of May, the party reached Gh6rgo.] 

Ghergo is a place not without interest, and seems to be of 
considerable antiquity. According to tradition, it is stated to 
be seven years older than Tumbutu or Timbuktu, and seems 
therefore well deserving of a right to be identified with one of 
the celebrated centres of life in these regions in the first dawn 
of historical record. It was originally situated on the main, 
occupying an eminence a little east of our encampment, till, in 
more recent times, the weakened and unprotected inhabitants 
were obliged to retire behind the backwater from fear of the 
Tawarek. 

Tuesday, May 23d. "We started in the cool of the morning, 
keeping close to the border of the swampy creek, which gra- 
dually becomes narrower, while the principal trunk of the river 
approaches. After a march of about a mile and a half we 
receded a little into the desert, which exhibited an immense 
number of footprints of the giraffe, generally three or four to- 
gether. Here the vegetation was rather scanty, the ground in 
general being covered with nothing but low bushes ; but, after 
we had approached a small ridge of sandy downs, we crossed 
a hollow, which, being the dried-up ground of a pond, or 
dhaye, was surrounded with diim bush and tobacco-grounds. 

We had been joined some time previously by a chief of the 
Kel-antsar, who invited us to spend the hot hours of the day 
with him. We therefore halted at an early hour by the side 
of his encampment, which was situated on a promontory close 
beyond the rich vale whence the district was called " erashar \ n 
Kirtebe and Tarashit we had left on one side. The people 
slaughtered a whole ox, and sent us a great many dishes of 
rice and sour milk. The whole tribe of the Kel-antsar is rather 
numerous, numbering upward of 1000 full-grown men, but 
they are scattered over a wide extent of country, reaching from 
Gdgo to Ras el ma, and even into the interior of Taganet, the 
district between Timbuktu and A'zawad. We had intended 
to pitch our tent here, but we found the ground so extremely 
dry and hard that it would not hold the pegs. 

[On their journey the shiekh and Dr. Barth had separate 
42* 2G 



498 si'di mohammed's descendants. 

encampments. On one of their halts the doctor, visiting the 
sheikh's tent is led to reflect on the high character of this Afri- 
can royal family.] 

I afterward called upon my protector. One of his younger 
brothers, Sidi I'lemin, had the preceding day come to pay him 
a visit as he was passing through this country, and when I was 
ascending the sandy hill, on the slope of which their matting 
dwelling had been erected, he came out to meet me, and com- 
plimented me in a very cheerful manner. He was a respectable 
man, with a very pleasing countenance, and had with him his 
son, a most beautiful boy of seven years. 

I could not help thinking what a noble family this was. They 
were all sons of Sidi Mohammed el Kunti, the chief who 
received Major Laing in A'zawad. First, Mukhtar, Bakay 's 
elder brother, who succeeded to his father when that chief had 
succumbed to an epidemic fever which raged in A'zawad, just 
at the time of Major Laing's arrival, and who died in 1847 ; 
then Sidi Mohammed, a man with a truly princely demeanor ; 
then El Bakay himself; next, 'Abidin, likewise well deserving 
the distinguished position of a chief, although he differed in 
politics from El Bakay ; then Hamma, a man with whom I 
did not become personally acquainted, but who was represented 
by all as a noble man ; Sidi I'lemin ; Baba A'hmed ; and Sidi 
A'mmer. This latter is the youngest, but certainly not the 
least noble of the family. While on a visit to Sokoto, together 
with his brother, El Bakay, he made a deeper impression upon 
the people and obtained their favor more generally than his 
elder brother. A'lawate is the only member of this family 
who, with the exception of his learning, does not seem to con- 
tribute much to its honor ; but, even in his case, we must take 
into account the customs of the country, and not judge of him 
according to our views of nobility. 

[The progress of the travellers was slow, Dr Barth and the 
sheikh keeping near each other and always near the river. No 
interesting incident occurred till June 18th, when they arrived 
at Kdkoro.] 

June 18th. In the locality, which is called Kokoro, we made 



ARRIVAL AT GO'GO'. 499 

a halt in order to wait for El Bakay ; but, as he did not come, 
and as we were unable to stay in this wilderness where no en- 
campment was near, we moved on in the afternoon, with an 
almost exact southerly direction, toward Gdgd, G'awo, or 
Ghago, the celebrated capital of the Songhay empire. We first 
kept along the border of the green swampy creek, which farther 
on presented an open sheet of water, while on our left, between 
the dense diim bush, diim palms also began to appear. But 
about two miles farther on, leaving the creek for a while, we 
ascended sandy downs, where, from the deserted site of a former 
arnazah, bearing evident traces of having been the resting-place 
of a numerous herd of cattle, my companions descried in the 
distance the tops of the palm-trees of Gdgd, while I strained 
my eyes in vain, filled as I was with the most ardent desire of 
at length reaching that place. 

Descending then into a slight depression, we reached a larger 
fwddama, which soon after was joined by a considerable branch 
from the northwest, gradually filling with water as we advanced, 
and forming an arm of the river. From beyond the other side 
a very comfortable-looking encampment became visible, and 
almost induced my companions to give up the plan of reaching 
the desolate site of the former capital of this Nigritian empire ; 
but the fine tamarind-trees and the beautiful date palms burst 
now too distinctly upon our view to allow me to relinquish the 
pleasure of reaching them without farther delay. It was a 
"most interesting and cheering sight to behold a large expanse 
of fields of native corn take the place of the desert. The whole 
country became one open cultivable level, uninterrupted by any 
downs ; and I thought at that moment that we had bid farewell 
to the desert forever, and entered the fertile region of Central 
Negroland, an expectation which, however, was not fully 
realized by what I observed farther on. But here, at least, 
even in the present decayed state of the country, there were 
some remains of industry, and the stubble-fields of saba, or 
sorghum, were succeeded by tobacco plantations, and, after a 
slight interruption, by rice-grounds under water. However, 
darkness set in before we reached the miserable hovels of Gdgd, 



500 RESIDENCE AT GO r GO'. 

and we encamped on a large open area, bordered round about 
by detached huts of matting, from which the ruins of a laro-e 
tower-like building of clay arose to a considerable height, and 
by a fine grove of rich trees, running on into a dense under- 
wood of siwak. The river was not visible from this point. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 



[Residence at Gogo — Separation from the Sheikh — Dangerous position of 
the party near Tagabata. 

Tuesday, June 20th. As soon as I had made out that G6g6 
was the place which for several centuries had been the capital 
of a strong and mighty empire in this region, I felt a more 
ardent desire to visit it than I had to reach Timbuktu. The 
latter, no doubt, had become celebrated throughout the whole 
of Europe on account of the commerce which centered in it ; 
nevertheless, I was fully aware that Timbuktu had never been 
more than a provincial town, although it exercised considerable 
influence upon the neighboring regions from its being the seat 
of Mohammedan learning. But G'awd, or Gdgo, had been 
the centre of a great national movement, from whence powerful 
and successful princes, such as the great Mohammed el Haj 
A'skia, spread their conquests from Kebbi, or rather Hausa, 
in the east, as far as Fiita in the west, and from Tawat in the 
north, as far as Wangara and Mosi toward the south. 

At present the name of G'awd is given not only to the site 
of the former capital, but also to the island, and even to the 
opposite shore of A'ribinda ; and I once supposed that the 
chief part of the town was situated on the island, but this does 
not appear to have been the case ; neither does it appear to 
have stood on the western bank. The fact is, that in former 
times there were two distinct quarters of Gogo, the quarter of 
the idolaters on the western bank toward Giirma, and the royal 
and Mohammedan quarter on the eastern bank toward Egypt, 



MEETING OP NATIVE CHIEFS. 501 

whence Islam, with its accompanying civilization, had been in- 
troduced. In the course of time the latter quarter would gain 
over the former, which from the beginning, when pagan wor- 
ship was prevalent, was no doubt the more considerable. 

It was not until the second day of our arrival that my pro- 
tector, accompanied by Hanna, Khozematen, Hammalaba, and 
the other chief men of the Kel e' Siik, who had come to have 
an interview with him, joined us. These people were mounted 
partly on camels, partly on horseback, and the large open area 
which spread out between the mosque and our tents thus be- 
came greatly enlivened, and it was not long before some mes- 
sengers who had been sent to Alkiittabu returned with the 
answer that he would meet the sheikh in this place in three 
days. It almost appeared as if Gdgo was again to acquire 
some slight historical importance as the place of meeting 
between the native chiefs of these disturbed regions and a 
European anxious to inspire the natives of these countries with 
fresh energy, and to establish a regular intercourse along the 
high road which Nature herself has prepared. 

[Dr. Barth remained at Gdgo till the 8th of July.] 

Saturday, July 8th. At length the day dawned when I was, 
in reality, to begin my home-journey, for all our former move- 
ments along the river had rather resembled the wanderings of 
the natives themselves than the direct march of a European 
traveller, and, although I felt sincerely attached to my protector, 
and under other circumstances might still have found a great 
many objects worthy of my investigation and research in this 
region, I could not but feel greatly satisfied at being at length 
enabled to retrace my steps homeward, with a tolerable 
guarantee as to my safety. It was highly gratifying to me 
that when I left this place a great many people wished me a 
hearty farewell and a prosperous journey. 

Sunday, July 9th. This was the day when I had to separate 
from the person whom, among all the people with whom I had 
come in contact in the course of my long journey, I esteemed 
the most highly, and whom, in all but his dilatory habits and 
phlegmatic indifference, I had found a most excellent and trust- 



502 PARTING FROM THE SHEIKH. 

worthy man. I had lived with him for so long a time in daily 
intercourse, and in the most turbulent circumstances, sharing 
all his perplexities and anxieties, that I could not but feel the 
parting very severely. Having exhorted the messengers whom 
he was to send along with me never to quarrel, and to follow im- 
plicitly my advice in all cases, but especially with regard to the 
rate of progress in the journey, as he knew that I was impatiently 
looking forward to my home-journey, he gave me his blessing, 
and assured me that I should certainly reach home in safety. 

The river here, at present, was studded with sand-banks, 
which greatly facilitated the crossing of my camels and horses, 
although between the sand-banks and the southwesterly shore 
there was a deep channel of considerable breadth. The locality 
where I touched the southwestern bank of the river is called 
Grona, a name identical with that of a place of great celebrity 
for its learning and its schools in the countries of the Moham- 
medan Mandingoes to the south. 

The chief of my companions, A'hmed el Wadawi, being 
once more called beyond the river into the presence of the 
sheikh, we did not leave this place till a late hour in the after- 
noon, keeping along the low swampy shore. After a while an 
open branch approached us from the river on our left, forming 
an island of the name of Berta. Here an animated scene pre- 
sented itself to our eyes. An immense female hippopotamus 
was driving her calf before her and protecting it from behind, 
her body half out of the water, while a great number of 
" aganiba" and "zangway," crocodiles and alligators, were 
basking in the sun on the low sand-banks, and glided into the 
water with great celerity at the noise of our approach. 

Here the swampy shore presented some cultivation of rice, 
while on the opposite side the river was bounded by the rocky 
cliffs of Tin-sheran ; but the sandy beach, which a week pre- 
viously had been animated by the numerous encampments of 
the Grabero, was now desolate and deserted, and we continued 
our march in order to find out their new camping-ground. 

While ascending a spur of rising ground called Gundam, a 
fierce poisonous snake made a spring at my mounted servant, 



AN ALARMING ADVENTURE. 503 

who was close behind me, but was killed by the men who for- 
tunately followed him at a short distance. It was about four 
feet and a half long, and its body did not exceed an inch and 
a half in diameter. 

Having then kept along the slope for a little more than a 
mile, we again descended into the grassy plain, and reached a 
considerable creek, forming a series of rapids gushing over a 
low ledge of rocks, and encompassing the island of Bornu- 
Gungu, where the Ga-bero were at present encamped. The 
creek being too considerable to allow of our crossing it with 
all our effects we encamped between it and the swamp, in a 
locality called Juna-baria ; and I here distributed among my 
companions the articles which I had promised them. 

The river at this point was frequented by several hippopo- 
tami, one of which, in its pursuit of good pasturage in the 
dusk of the evening, left the shore far behind it, and was pur- 
sued by my companions, who fired at it, without, however, 
hurting it or preventing its reaching the water. 

[No incident of importance occurred till the 26th of July, 
when the party had just crossed the river Sirba, near the vil- 
lage of Tagabata. Here they narrowly escaped destruction, 
in a way which is highly characteristic of the dangerous and 
disorderly state of the regions through which they were 
travelling.] 

Proceeding onward, we suddenly observed that the covert 
in front of us was full of armed men. As soon as they became 
aware that we had observed them, they advanced toward us 
with the most hostile gesticulations, swinging their spears and 
fitting their arrows to their bows, and we were just going to 
fire upon them, when we observed among them my servant, the 
Gatroni, whom a short time before I had sent to fetch some 
water from the river. This fortunate circumstance suddenly 
arrested our hostile intentions and led to a peaceable under- 
standing. We were then informed that, obtaining a sight of 
us from a hill while we were still at a distance, and seeing six 
armed horsemen, they had taken us for a hostile host, and had 
armed themselves ; and it was very fortunate for my servant 



504 ARRIVAL AT SAY. 

with whom they first met, as well as for ourselves, that one of 
them understood a little Hausa, and was able to make out from 
his description the nature of our undertaking. But for this, 
we should perhaps have been overwhelmed by numbers. The 
first troop consisted of upward of 100 men, all armed with 
bow and spear, and round black shields, many of them wear- 
ing a battle-axe besides ; and smaller detachments were posted 
at short intervals up to the very outskirts of their village. 
They consisted of both Songhay and Fiilbe, and the greater 
part wore nothing but leathern aprons. They wanted us to 
accompany them to their village, but we did not feel sufficient 
confidence in them to do so, and we were glad when we got rid 
of them. On this occasion I had another proof of the war- 
like character of my Arab companion 'All el A'geren, who, as 
long as there was any danger, kept at a . respectful distance 
behind the camels, but, as soon as he saw that all was over, he 
rushed out his little pony in the most furious manner, and 
threatened to put to death the whole body of men, so that I 
had great difficulty in appeasing him. Probably, if we had 
had a serious encounter, he would have turned his horse's head, 
and I should never have seen him again. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 



Arrival at Say — Kesidence at Say — Departure — Tamkala — Audience of 
the Governor — Gando — Arrival at Sokoto — Residence in Wurn6 — 
Arrival at Kano. 

We approached the town of Say, which was scarcely visible, 
owing to the exuberant vegetation which surrounded its wall 
on every side, and which exhibited a most remarkable contrast 
to that dryness and monotony which characterized the place 
on my former visit. The town itself was at present intersected 
by a broad sheet of water, which seemed almost to separate it 
into two distinct quarters. I at length reached the house of 



RESIDENCE AT SAY. 505 

the governor, where I, as well as my horse, were cheerfully re- 
cognised as old acquaintances. I was quartered in the same 
little hut in which I had resided more than a year previously, 
but a considerable change had been made in its arrangement. 
The comfortable little sleeping place of matting had been re- 
stored, and was very acceptable in the rainy season, more es- 
pecially as it did not entirely preclude a current of air, while 
it enabled me to put away all my small treasures in security. 

Having rested awhile in my hut, I, with my companions, 
obeyed the summons of the governor, and found our poor old 
friend, A'bu-Bakr, in the very same room where we had left 
him more than a year previously. He was now quite lame in 
consequence of his disease of seni, but looked a little better 
than on the former occasion, and I soon had an opportunity 
of admiring his accurate knowledge of the country ; for when 
A'hmed el Wadawi had read to him the kasaid or poems ad- 
dressed by my friend El Bakay to the Emir A'hmedu, and 
began to relate some of the more remarkable incidents of our 
journey, he was corrected every moment in the nomenclature 
of the places by the governor, who appeared to possess the 
most accurate philological knowledge of all the spots along the 
river as far as Tdndibi, where he had been obliged to turn his 
back on his voyage up the Niger. He apparently took great 
interest in the endeavor of the sheikh to open a communication 
with the Fiilbe of Gando and Sokoto, and expressed his deep 
sorrow that on his former voyage he was prevented by the hos- 
tile behavior of the chief El Khadir from reaching Timbuktu, 
when my companions assured him that the sheikh, on the first 
news of his approach, had sent a messenger in order to insure 
his safety from the Tawarek. 

Even if we do not take into account this attempt of his, 
there is no doubt that the Governor of Say is of the utmost 
importance in the endeavor to ascend this river, and it is only 
to be lamented that he has not greater means, pecuniary and 
military, at his disposal, in order to draw from the favorable 
position of his province all the results possible. Altogether, 
his circumstances at this moment, especially in consequence of 
43 



506 DEPARTURE FROM SAY. 

the rebellion of the Province of Dendina, were rather poor. 
At the same time, his own debilitated condition prevents him 
from exerting his power, and can only tend to increase his 
political weakness. The rather inhospitable treatment which 
we received may thus be explained. Nevertheless, I made 
him this time a considerable present, including a red bermis 
of inferior quality, which I had kept back for the occasion. 
However, I was so fortunate, in acknowledgment for some 
medicines with which I endeavored to alleviate his complaint, 
as to receive from him a small piece of sugar, which was a 
great treat to me, as I had long been deprived of this luxury, 
there being none in the market ; and when we left the place, 
after a stay of three days, he was generous enough to make 
my companions a present of a camel, of which they stood 
much in need. 

Wednesday, August 2d. It was in the afternoon that we left 
our narrow quarters in the town of Say, which had appeared 
to us the more inconvenient as we had experienced several 
thunder-storms, which had obliged us to take refuge in the 
interior of our narrow huts. . 

It was with a deep feeling of satisfaction that I again crossed 
this magnificent river, on whose banks I had lived for so long 
a time, and the course of which I had followed for so many 
hundred miles. It would have been of no small importance if 
I had been able to follow its banks as far as Yaiiri, and thus 
to connect by my own inspection the middle course of this 
noble river with the lower part, as far as it has been visited by 
the Landers, and partly, at least, by various distinguished 
English officers. But such an undertaking was entirely out 
of the question, on account of the exhausted state of my means, 
the weak condition of my health, and the advanced stage of 
the rainy season, which made it absolutely necessary for me to 
reach Sokoto as soon as possible; and, what was still more, in 
consequence of the rebellious state of the Province of Dendino, 
which at the time made any intercourse along the river impos- 
sible for so small a troop as I had then under my command. 
At this season of the year, moreover, it would be impracticable, 



ta'mkala. 507 

even if the country were in a tranquil state, to keep close along 
the banks of the river. 

This time also I had succeeded in crossing the river without 
any accident, with the single exception that a camel which be- 
longed to one of my companions was so obstinate that it was 
found impossible to induce it to enter the boats, which were not 
of the same size as those of the preceding year. It was thus 
forced to cross the river by swimming alongside, and arrived 
in the most exhausted state, the river being about 900 yards 
across. The nearest village being too far off, we were obliged 
to encamp for the night on the gentle grassy slope of the bank, 
which, a little above and below the place of embarkation, forms 
steep cliffs of about 80 feet elevation. The evening was beau- 
tiful, and the scenery of the river, with the feathery dum 
palms on the opposite shore, was lovely in the extreme, and 
well adapted to leave on my mind a lasting impression of the 
magnificent watery high road which Nature has opened into 
the heart of this continent. Thus I took leave of the Niger. 

Friday, August tth. This day brought me to Tamkala ; my 
camels pursuing a shorter and I a more circuitous route, but 
both arriving at the same time at the gate of this town. It had 
been my intention from the beginning to visit this place, but 
the turbulent state of the country had induced me the year 
before to follow a more direct road, and I did not learn until 
now that on that occasion A'bii el Hassan, as soon as he heard 
of my approach, had sent four horsemen to Garbo in order to 
conduct me to his presence, but they did not arrive till after I 
had left that place. 

[Dr. Barth visited the governor A'bii el Hassan, and ex- 
plained his apparent neglect. He was cordially received and 
well treated. The audience was long, and in the usual style 
with these African potentates.] 

On returning to my quarters I distributed my last presents 
among those of my companions who were to remain here, and 
handed them a letter for the Sheikh el Bakay, wherein I again 
assured him of my attachment to his family, and expressed the 



508 AWKWARD FATE OF A LETTER. 

hope that, even at a great distance, we might not cease to 
cultivate our mutual friendship. 

[Leaving Tamkala on the 6th of August, the Doctor reached 
Gando on the ltth.] 

On the top of the rocky eminence, we obtained a view of 
the valley of Gando, and, descending, soon reached the gate 
of the town, and straightway rode to the house of the monkish 
prince, where we were soon surrounded by a number of people, 
who congratulated me on my fortunate return. After a while 
there appeared also my tormentor, El Bakay, which name now 
appeared to me as a mere satire, associating as it did this 
vilest of Arabs with that noble man who had showed me so 
much disinterested friendship. But when he again commenced 
his old tactics I immediately made a serious protest, declaring 
at once that the only thing which it was in my power to give 
him this time was a black tobe and a red cap, and this I 
assured him he should not get until the very moment when 
I was about to leave the place. The dismal clay house where I 
had been lodged during my former stay in the place had since 
fallen in, and other quarters were assigned to me, consisting 
of a court-yard and two huts. 

The quarters which had been allotted to me this time were 
at least a little more airy than my former ones. My former 
guide, Dahdme, here paid me a visit. Upon asking him 
whether he had faithfully delivered to the m'allem 'Abd el 
Kader, in Sokoto, the parcel I had given him on his taking 
leave of me at Dore, he put on a rather sullen look, took from 
his cap a small leather case, opened it, and, drawing forth a 
dirty piece of paper, to my utmost surprise and disappoint- 
ment, exclaimed, " Here is your letter !" I then learned that, 
in consequence of the violent rains through which he had had 
to make his way, and the many rivers and swamps* which he 
had to cross, the whole envelope of the letter, containing the 
lines addressed to my friend in Sokoto, had been destroyed, so 
that the latter, receiving only the English letter, and not know- 
ing what to do with this hieroglyphic, at length returned it to 
the bearer, who had since used it as a charm. Besides this 



SECOND STAY IN GANDO. 509 

mishap, which had delayed this letter so long, instead of its 
being forwarded directly to Europe in order to inform my 
friends of my proceedings, there was- another disagreeable 
piece of information for me here, viz., that nearly the half of 
the huts composing the town had been consumed during my 
absence by a conflagration, and that all my books which I had 
left behind had in consequence been destroyed. 

I staid four days in Gando, endeavoring, in vain, to 
obtain an audience from the prince, and to persuade my 
companions, the telamid, to give up their hopes of a handsome 
present from this niggardly man, who sent me, if I may attri- 
bute the proceedings of his slaves to himself, in return for all 
the presents I had made him, a common black tobe and 3000 
shells, although my supplies were totally exhausted, and the 
two camels which I still possessed were more or less worn out, 
so that I stood greatly in need of generous aid ; but, not want- 
ing anything besides from the governor, I was thankful that 
I had passed unmolested through his extensive dominions on 
my outward as well as on my home-journey, and even protected, 
as far as his feeble power was able to grant protection. 

Wednesday, August 23d. I was heartily glad when I left 
this town, where I had experienced a great deal of trouble, 
although I could not but acknowledge that, if I had not suc- 
ceeded in some degree in securing the friendship of the ruling 
men in this place, it would not have fallen to my lot to have 
reached even the banks of the Niger. 

[Passing on, Dr. Barth arrived at Sokoto on the 24th, and 
remained till the 29th. He was well received by the Emir el 
Mumenin, and furnished with additional camels for his journey. 
He reached Wurnd, the residence of ' Aliyu, on the 30th. Here 
he was taken sick and remained till the 5th of October.] 

Having at length overcome the laziness of my companions, 
I had the satisfaction of seeing my departure finally arranged 
for the 5th of October. The ghaladima, in whose company 
on my outward journey I had come from Katsena, was again 
to be my fellow-traveller on my return eastward. I therefore 
completed my preparations, and on the 4th of October I had 
43* 



510 LEAVE-TAKING. 

my final leave-taking, or, as the Hausa people say, the ba- 
bankwana, when I took the opportunity of excusing myself to 
'Aliyu for having been this year a little troublesome, after the 
fashion of those Arab sherifs who used to visit him, stating at 
the same time that if my means had not been almost exhausted, 
I should have preferred buying a horse for myself. Having 
made this prelude, I endeavored to impress upon him the 
dangerous state of the road, when he made use of the expres- 
sion common in Hausa, "Alia shibiideta ! " (" God may open 
it!"); but I protested against such an excess of reliance 
upon the Divine intervention, and exhorted him to employ 
his own strength and power for such a purpose, for without 
security of roads I assured him there could be no intercourse 
or traffic. He either was, or seemed to be, very desirous that 
the English should open trading relations with him ; and I 
even touched on the circumstance that, in order to facilitate 
such an intercourse, it would be best to blow up certain rocks 
which most obstructed the navigation between Yauri and 
Biisa, but of such an undertaking I convinced myself that it 
was better not to say too much at once, as that ought to be 
an affair of time. 

Altogether, 'Aliyu had entered into the most cheerful con- 
versation with me on all occasions, and had questioned me 
upon every subject without reserve. He also furnished me 
with four letters of recommendation, one to the Governor of 
Kand, one to that of Bauchi, one to that of A'damawa, and 
one in a more general sense, addressed to all the governors of 
the different provinces in his empire. Thus I took leave of 
him and his court, probably never to see that region again, 
and lamenting that this extensive empire, which is so advanta- 
geously situated for a steady intercourse with Europeans, was 
not in the hands of an energetic chieftain, who would be able 
to give stability to conquest, and to organize the government 
of these provinces, so richly endowed by nature, with a strong 
hand. 

Tliursday, October 5th. It was about three o'clock in the 
afternoon when I took my final leave of Wurnd. I had twice 



ARRIVAL IN KANO'. 511 

resided in this capital for some length of time, experiencing, 
on the whole, much kindness. On my outward journey I had 
been furnished for my dangerous undertaking with a strong 
and powerful recommendation ; and on my return, although I 
had come into hostile contact with another section of the same 
tribe to which the inhabitants of this country belong, I had 
been again received without the least suspicion, had been 
treated with great regard, notwithstanding the exhausted state 
of my finances, and allowed to pursue my home-journey as 
soon as the season reopened the communication with the neigh- 
boring province. 

[On the 14th of October Dr. Barth arrived at Kano\] 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



Second residence in Kan6, under unfavorable circumstances — March 
towards Kukawa — Meeting with Mr. Vogel — Last residence in Kan6 
— Departure of Mr.Vogel — Departure from Kano — Journey to Fez- 
zan — Arrival at Murzuk — Sokna — Dr. Barth is received by Mr. 
Reade at *A / in Zara — Arrival at Tripoli — At Paris — At London — 
Remarks on the expedition. 

On my arrival in Kand I found everything prepared, and 
took up my quarters in a house provided for me ; but I was 
greatly disappointed in finding neither letters nor supplies, 
being entirely destitute of means, and having several debts to 
pay in this place — among others, the money due to my ser- 
vants, to whom I had paid nothing during the whole journey 
from Kiikawa to Timbuktu and back. I was scarcely able to 
explain how all this could have happened, having fully relied 
upon finding here everything I wanted, together with satisfac- 
tory information with regard to the proceedings of Mr. Yogel 
and his companions, whose arrival in Kiikawa I had as yet 
only accidentally learned from a liberated slave in Sdkoto. 
But fortunately, without relying much upon Sidi Rashid, the 



512 EMBARRASSMENTS. 

man whom I knew to be at the time the agent of her majesty's 
vice-consul in Miirzuk, I had given my confidence at once to 
Sidi 'All, the merchant, whose good-will I endeavored at 
once to secure by sacrificing to him almost everything I had 
left of value, including a small six-barrelled pistol. In return, 
he promised to supply my wants till I should be put in posses- 
sion of the money and merchandise which I had deposited in 
Zinder. 

The first thing, therefore, which I had to do the next morn- 
ing, after having paid my compliments to the ghaladima and 
the governor, and made to each of them a handsome present, 
such as my means would allow, was to send my servant Mo- 
hammed el Gatroni, upon whom I could fully rely, to Zinder, 
giving him full instructions, and promising him a handsome 
present if he should succeed in bringing away all my effects, 
both those which had been deposited on a former occasion, 
and the merchandise which had been forwarded on my account 
at a later period, and a smaller one in case he should only find 
the latter portion ; for, after all, I was by no means sure that 
the box of ironware and the four hundred dollars had remained 
safe during the severe civil struggles which had agitated Bornu 
during my absence. Meanwhile, till the return of this messen- 
ger, I endeavored to pass my time as usefully as possible, by 
completing a survey of the town which I had begun during my 
former residence, but was far from having finished. At the 
same time, the state of my health, on account of the close 
quarters in which I was here lodged, after having roved about 
in the open air for so long a time, required uninterrupted exer- 
cise. Owing to the change in my mode of living, severe fits 
of fever attacked me repeatedly. 

Kand will always remain one of the most unfavorable locali- 
ties for Europeans in this region ; and it was well that Mr. 
Yogel, for the first year after his arrival in Negroland, pur- 
posely avoided this spot. Even my animals did not escape the 
malignant effect of the climate. Three of my horses were 
seized, one after the other, with a contagious disease, com- 
mencing with a swelling of the thighs, and from thence spread- 



WANT OF INFORMATION. 513 

ing to the breast and the head, and generally proving fatal in 
six or eight days. In this way I lost two out of my three 
horses, including my old companion, who had carried me 
through so many dangerous campaigns, and who had shared 
all my fatigues and sufferings for nearly three years ; but the 
small and ugly, but strong horse, which the Sultan of Sokoto 
bad made me a present of, escaped with its life. 

Besides my own private concerns, and the anxiety produced 
by the urgency of my debts and the uncertainty with regard to 
the property left by me in Zinder, there were two objects 
which attracted my whole attention, and caused me a good 
deal of perplexity and hesitation. The first of these was the 
expedition sent by the English government up the River Be- 
nuwe\ of which I had not the slightest idea at the time when it 
was carried out, for the despatches which I had received in 
Timbuktu, after so much delay, did not contain a word about 
such a proceeding ; and the letters which were forwarded after- 
ward to my address, informing me that such an expedition was 
to be undertaken, remained in Kiikawa, and I did not get 
them until my arrival in that place at the end of December. 
Thus it was not until the 29th of October that, just in the 
same manner as I had heard accidentally in Sokoto of the arri- 
val of Mr. Yogel in Kiikawa, I was informed here, by the 
report of the natives, of such an expedition having taken place. 
I at first thought that it was undertaken by Captain M'Leod, 
of whose proposal to ascend the Niger I had accidentally 
gleaned some information through a number of the Galignani, 
and it was not until the 13th of November that I succeeded in 
meeting the person who had seen the expedition with his own 
eyes. This man informed me that the expedition consisted of 
one large boat, he did not know whether of iron or of wood, 
and two smaller ones, containing altogether seven gentlemen 
and seventy slaves, he of course taking the Kroomen for 
slaves. Moreover, I learned from him that the members of 
this expedition had not gone as far as Ydla, the capital of 
A'damawa, as the Governor of Hamarruwa had warned them 
not to go up to that place with their steamer, on account of 

2h 



514 RUMORS. 

the narrow passage between the mountains. He also informed 
me that they had commenced their home-journey earlier than 
had been expected, and that he himself, having proceeded to 
Yakoba in order to procure more ivory for them, had found 
them gone on his return. 

The other circumstance which greatly occupied my mind at 
this time was the state of affairs in Kiikawa ; for in the begin- 
ning, on the first news of the revolution in Bdrnu, and of the 
Sheikh 'Omar being dethroned and his vizier slain, I had given 
up my project of returning by Bdrnu, intending to try again 
the difficult road by A'ir. At a later season, however, when 
I heard on the road that 'Omar was again installed, I che- 
rished the hope that it might be possible to take the safer route 
by the Tebu country, especially as I received the news of a 
most sanguinary struggle having taken place between the Kel- 
owi and the Kel-geres. In this struggle a great many of the 
noblest men of the former were said to have fallen, together 
with several hundred of the common people on both sides. I 
was sorry to hear that in this struggle my best friends had 
succumbed. 

Meanwhile the news from Kiikawa remained very unsatis- 
factory, and false rumors were continually brought from thence. 
Thus it was reported on the 1st of November that the Sugiirti 
had vanquished 'Omar, who had made his escape accompanied 
only by a couple of horsemen ; and it was not until the 9th 
that we received trustworthy news that he was holding his 
position steadily against the intrigues of the party of his bro- 
ther, whom he kept in prison. It was with great satisfaction 
that I saw messengers from 'Omar arrive in the course of a 
few days, in order to present his compliments to the governor 
of this place. I at once had them called to my house, and 
made them a few presents, in order to express my satisfaction 
at their master having recovered his kingdom, and still hold- 
ing his position ; for it was a most important point with me 
to see my road to Bornu clear, and to meet there with Mr. 
Yogel and his party, in order to give him my advice and as- 
sistance with respect to the countries which it was most de- 



STRAITENED CIRCUMSTANCES. 515 

sirable that he should explore. But in the situation in which 
I was thus placed, it proved most difficult to obtain the means 
of reaching Kiikawa, as I had no money at my disposal ; for, 
to my great disappointment, the servant whom I had sent to 
Zinder on the 18th, in order to bring from thence the property 
which I had deposited there, as well as the merchandise which 
had arrived afterward, returned on the 4th of November 
empty-handed, bringing nothing but a few letters. It was now 
that I heard that the news of my death had been everywhere 
believed, and that a servant of Mr. Vogel's, together with a 
slave of 'Abd e' Rahman's, had arrived in Zinder from 
Kiikawa, and had taken away all the merchandise that had 
reached that place on my account, the box with the 400 dollars 
and the cutlery having been stolen long before, immediately 
after the assassination of the sherif. 

Thus, then, I was left destitute also from this side, and I 
felt the want of supplies the more, as my head man, 'Ali el 
A'geren, supported by the wording of the contract, which I 
had entered into with him, had claimed here peremptorily the 
payment of the rest of his salary, which amounted to 111 dol- 
lars, and I had been obliged to request Sidi 'Ali to pay him 
this sum on my account. This man had cost me very dear, 
and if I had possessed sufficient means I should have dis- 
charged him in Timbuktu, as he there threw off all allegiance 
and obedience to me as soon as he became aware of the dan- 
gers which surrounded me. He was likewise of very little 
service to me on my return -journey ; but, of course, he was 
now anxious to excuse himself for his conduct on the road, and 
even laid claim to the present which I had promised him in the 
event of his conduct proving quite to my satisfaction. This, 
however, I refused with good reason ; and I was glad to find 
that my other servants, whose salaries amounted altogether to 
nearly 200 dollars, were willing to wait for their payment until 
we reached Kiikawa. 

However, the parcel which my servant brought me from 
Zinder, was not quite devoid of subjects of gratification, as 
besides a few letters from Europe, including a map of South 



516 LETTER TO 'ALl'YU. 

Africa by Mr. Cooley, it contained two beautifully-written 
Arabic letters, one addressed to 'Aliyu, the Emir of Sokoto, 
and the other a general letter of recommendation, addressed 
by her majesty's consul in Tripoli to the chiefs of the Fiilbe. 
These letters I had expressly written for, and if I had received 
them two years earlier they would have been of great service 
to me. As it was, I sent the letter destined for 'Aliyu to the 
governor, who was so much pleased with it that he forwarded 
it by a special messenger, accompanied by a letter from myself, 
wherein I expressed my regret that I had not been able to pre- 
sent this letter to him on my personal visit, while at the same 
time I excused myself for not being able at the time to send 
him a small present, not having found here any supplies, and 
being entirely destitute of means. Having heard a report, 
which afterward proved to be false, that the Governor of Ha- 
marruwa had formed the intention of attacking the people in 
the English steamer with a large force, I took the opportunity 
of protesting in this letter against such proceedings, giving 
the chief a plain statement of the peaceable intentions of the 
expedition. 

The parcel which my servant had brought me from Zinder 
seemed also to hold out the prospect of material aid ; for the 
letter from Mr. Dickson, dated the latter part of 1853, wherein 
he at the same time informed me, to my great disappointment, 
that he was about to leave his post for the Crimea, contained 
two letters of recommendation to a couple of Ghadamsi mer- 
chants, of the names of Haj A'hrned ben Sliman and Moham- 
med ben Miisa, who, as he informed me, had property of his 
own in their hands, in order to assist me in case I should be 
in want of money ; but when I sent these letters to their desti- 
nation they were very coldly received, and it was intimated to 
me that I could not be accommodated. The disappointment 
which the awkwardness of my pecuniary circumstances caused 
me was soothed in some degree by the offer which the Fezzani 
merchant, Khweldi, whose kindness to me I have mentioned on 
a previous occasion, made me at the same time, of lending me 
200 dollars in cash. In the afternoon of the 14th a servant 



USURY. 5 It 

of his arrived with the money, which, however, did not suffice 
for my actual wants, as I had to return to Sidi 'All the 111 
dollars which he had paid to my servant 'All el A'geren. 
After having made a suitable present to the messenger, I had 
therefore only a very small sum remaining, and the disappoint- 
ment which I had experienced with regard to my luggage 
made me reluctant to forego the project which I had formed 
of taking home with me specimens of the manufacture of this 
place. I had also to buy two horses and a couple of camels, 
together with sundry other articles, and I was therefore obliged 
to procure farther means, however difficult it might be. I had 
even a great deal of trouble with Sidi 'All, who put off his 
promise to accommodate me from day to day. 

At length, having, on the 10th of November, written an en- 
ergetic letter to this merchant, it was agreed that the affair 
between myself and the Ghadamsi merchants, who refused to 
lend me money, although they had English property in their 
hands, should be referred to the ghaladima, who granted me a 
public interview for the purpose. In this audience, in which 
a great number of other people were present, the merchants 
founded their refusal to comply with my request on the old 
date of the letter in which they were ordered to attend to my 
wishes ; and it was not until the ghaladima had ordered them 
to bring into his presence all that they possessed of the British 
agent's property, that they agreed the following day to lend me 
a sum of money, at the usual rate of one hundred per cent. 
Being obliged to agree to this condition, as it had never been 
my intention to oblige them by force to grant me a loan with- 
out allowing them their usual profit, I stipulated to receive 
from them 500,000 shells, equal in this place to 200 dollars, 
on the condition that 400 should be repaid in Tripoli at four 
months 1 date* This loan, which would not have been neces- 
sary at all if I had found my supplies, enabled me, on the 
other hand, to send off my dispatches with the greatest ease 

* [A pretty good shave. These usurers might have spared the Doctor 
the insulting epithet of infidel. — Ed.] 
U 



518" FINAL ARRANGEMENTS. 

and security, as it was, of course, the interest of these mer- 
chants to have these letters forwarded to Tripoli by, the safest 
and shortest route. A courier was therefore dispatched im- 
mediately, who, being an experienced and well-known person, 
would be able to make his way through the country of A'ir, 
which in its temporarily disturbed state was closed to any one 
else. The only thing which caused me some displeasure in 
this transaction was the circumstance that these merchants 
from Ghadames had the insolence, although half the money 
with which they trade is Christian money, to call the Chris- 
tians, in the presence of the ghaladima, by the offensive name 
of "Kafarawa" ("the infidels "), and I made a serious pro- 
test against such a term being employed in official transactions. 

The difficulty which I had in supplying my wants, and pur- 
chasing the articles that in my opinion were necessary for my 
outfit, was the greater, as everything was very dear at the 
time, the merchants being of opinion, on account of the turbu- 
lent state of the road, that no caravan from the north would 
arrive that year. Camels especially were exceedingly dear, 
seven fine animals which Khweldi had sent from Zinder being 
sold for 60,000 shells each, a very high price for a camel. I 
deemed myself, therefore, very fortunate in being able to pur- 
chase a she-camel of inferior quality for 45,000. I also was so 
lucky as to buy an excellent mare for 70,000 shells, or less than 
thirty dollars. Having thus at length provided for all my 
wants, I got everything ready for starting on the 21st, and 
heartily glad I was when I was fairly embarked on this the last 
stage of my journeying in Negroland, with the prospect before 
me that, in six months or so, I might again breath the invigo- 
rating air of the north. 

[On his way to Kiikawa Dr. Barth met Mr. Vogel near 
Bundi.] 

I reached Biindi after a short march, proceeding in advance 
of my camels in order to pay my compliments to the governor, 
and to obtain from him an escort through the unsafe district 
which intervened between this town and Zurrikulo. After a 
little tergiversation, my old friend, the ghaladima, 'Omar, 



MEETING WITH MR. VOGEL. ' 519 

acceded to my request, giving me a guide who, he assured me, 
would procure an escort for me in the village of Shesheri, 
where a squadron of horse was stationed for the greater security 
of the road. I had experienced the inhospitable disposition 
of this officer during my former stay here, and felt, therefore, 
little inclination to be his guest a second time ; but if I had 
had any foreboding that Mr. Yogel was so near at hand, I 
would gladly have made some stay. 

Having rejoined my camels, I set out, without delay, through 
the forest, taking the lead with my head servant ; but I had 
scarcely proceeded three miles when I saw advancing toward 
me a person of strange aspect — a young man of very fair com- 
plexion, dressed in a tobe like the one I wore myself, and with 
a white turban wound thickly round his head. He was accom- 
panied by two or three blacks, likewise on horseback. One of 
them I recognised as my servant M'adi, whom, on setting out 
from Kiikawa, I had left in the house as a guardian. As soon 
as he saw me he told the young man that I was 'Abd el Kerim, 
in consequence of which Mr. Yogel (for he it was) rushed for- 
ward, and, taken by surprise as both of us were, we gave each 
other a hearty reception from horseback. As for myself, I had 
not had the remotest idea of meeting him, and he, on his part, 
had only a short time before received the intelligence of my 
safe return from the west. Not having the slightest notion 
that I was alive, and judging from its Arab address that the 
letter which I forwarded to him from Kand was a letter from 
some Arab, he had put it by without opening it, waiting till he 
might meet with a person who should be able to read it. 

In the midst of this inhospitable forest we dismounted and 
sat down together on the ground ; and my camels having 
arrived, I took out my small bag of provisions, and had some 
coffee boiled, so that we were quite at home. It was with great 
amazement that I heard from my young friend that there were 
no supplies in Kiikawa ; that what he had brought with him 
had been spent ; and that the usurper 'Abd e' Rahman had 
treated him very badly, having even taken possession of the 
property which I had left in Zinder. He moreover informed 



520 DESIRE FOR WINE. 

me that he himself was on his way to that place, in order to 
see whether fresh supplies had not arrived, being also anxious 
to determine the position of that important town by an astro- 
nomical observation, and thus to give a firmer basis to my own 
labors. But the news of the want of pecuniary supplies did 
not cause me so much surprise as the report which I received 
from him that he did not possess a single bottle of wine ; for, 
having- now been for more than three years without a drop of 
any stimulant except coffee, and having suffered severely from 
frequent attacks of fever and dysentery, I had an insuperable 
lunging for the juice of the grape, of which former experience 
had taught me the benefit. On my former journey through 
Asia Minor I had contracted a serious fever in the swamps of 
Lycia, and quickly regained my strength by the use of good 
French wine. I could not help reproaching my friend for 
having too hastily believed the news of my death before he had 
made all possible inquiries ; but, as he was a new-comer into this 
country and did not possess a knowledge of the language, I 
could easily perceive that he had no means of ascertaining the 
truth or falsehood of those reports. 

I also learned from him that there were dispatches for me in 
Kukawa, informing me of the expedition sent up the River 
Tsadda, or Benuwe. With regard to his own proceedings, he 
informed me that his sole object in going to Mandara had been 
to join that expedition, having been misled by the opinion of 
my friends in Europe, who thought that I had gone to A'da- 
mawa by way of Mandara, and that, when once in Mora, he 
had become aware of the mistake he had committed when too 
late, and had endeavored in vain to retrieve his error by going 
from that place to TJje, from whence the overthrow of the 
usurper 'Abd e' Rahman and the return of his brother 'Omar 
to power had obliged him to return to Kukawa. 

While we were thus conversing together the other members 
of the caravan in whose company Mr. Togel was travelling 
arrived, and expressed their astonishment and surprise at my 
sitting quietly in the midst of the forest, talking with my friend, 
while the whole district was infested by hostile men. But 



RE-ENTERS KU'kAWA. 521 

these Arab traders are great cowards ; and I learned from my 
countryman that he had found a great number of these mer- 
chants assembled in Borzari, and afraid of a few robbers who 
infested the road beyond that place ; and it was only after he 
had joined them, with his companions that they had decided 
upon advancing. 

After about two hours' conversation we had to separate ; 
and while Mr. Yogel pursued his journey to Zinder (whence he 
promised to join me before the end of the month), I hastened 
to overtake my people, whom I had ordered to wait for me in 
Kalemri. 

[No other incident of importance took place till Dr. Barth 
arrived at Kiikawa, the capital of Bdrnu.] 

In order to procure myself a good reception from the ruler 
of Bornu, after the great political disturbances which had taken 
place, I thought it prudent to send a messenger to him to an- 
nounce my arrival. I only needed to give full expression to 
my real feelings in order to render my letter acceptable to my 
former protector, for my delight had been extreme, after the 
news which I had received of 'Abd e' Rahman having usurped 
the supreme power, on hearing that the just and lawful Sheikh 
'Omar had once more regained possession of the royal autho- 
rity. The consequence was, that when, after having traversed 
the district of Koyam, with its straggling villages, its fine 
herds of camels, and its deep wells, some of them more than 
forty fathoms in depth, I approached the town on the 11th of 
December, I found 'Abd e' Nebi, the chief eunuch of the sheikh, 
with thirty horsemen, posted at the village of Kaliluwa, where 
a market was just held, in order to give me an honorable recep- 
tion. Thus I re-entered the town of Kiikawa, whence I had 
set out on my dangerous journey to the west, in stately pro- 
cession. On entering my quarters, I was agreeably surprised 
at finding the two sappers, Corporal Church and private Mac- 
guire, who had been sent out from England to accompany Mr, 
Yogel, and to join me, if possible, in my proceedings. 

On reaching safely the town of Kiikawa, which had been my 
head -quarters for so long a period, and from whence I had first 
44* 



522 LAST RESIDENCE IN KU'kAWA. 

commenced my journeys of exploration in Negroland, it might 
seem that I had overcome all the difficulties in the way of 
complete success, and that I could now enjoy a short stay in 
the same place before traversing the last stage of my homeward 
journey. Such, however, was not the case, and it was my lot 
to pass four months in this town under rather unpleasant cir- 
cumstances. I had expected to find sufficient means here, and 
had, in consequence, agreed to repay the sum of 200 dollars 
lent me by the Fezzani merchant Khweldi in Kand ; but there 
were only a few dollars in cash left of the supplies taken out 
by Mr. Yogel, those deposited by myself in Zinder in the hands 
of the Sherif el Fasi, viz., 400 dollars in cash and a box con- 
taining a considerable amount of ironware, having been plun- 
dered during the turbulent state of the country produced by 
the revolution. Even of the merchandise which haol been lately 
dispatched to Zinder, and from thence, in consequence of Mr. 
Yogel's arrangements, transported to Kiikawa, a very conside- 
rable proportion was found, on a close examination, to have 
been abstracted. Being therefore in want of money, and con- 
vinced that if such an outrage were allowed to pass by unno- 
ticed no peaceable intercourse could ever be carried on between 
this country and Europeans, I explained these circumstances 
in the first audience which I had of the sheikh, to whom I made 
a present worth about eight pounds sterling. 

While, therefore, once more assuring him of my unbounded 
satisfaction at finding him reinstated in his former power, I 
requested him not to suffer me to be treated in this manner by 
thieves and robbers, and to exert his influence for the restora- 
tion of my property. This proceeding of mine, as responsible 
to the government under whose auspices I was travelling, in- 
volved me in a series of difficulties, and excited against me 
Diggama, one of the most influential courtiers at the time, and 
a man of mean character, as it was his servant, or more pro- 
bably himself, who had obtained possession of the greater part 
of the plunder. In order to counteract the intrigues of this 
man, I endeavored to secure the friendship of Yusuf, the 
sheikh's next eldest brother, an intelligent and straightforward 



UNPLEASANT CIRCUMSTANCES. 523 

man, by making him a handsome present, and explaining to 
him, in unequivocal terms, how a friendly intercourse between 
themselves and the English could only exist if they acted in a 
conscientious manner. Another circumstance which contri- 
buted to render my situation in this place still more uncomfort- 
able was the relation which existed between Mr. Yogel and 
Corporal Church, one of the sappers who had come with him 
from England ; and I was sorry that the praiseworthy and 
generous intention of the government in sending out these two 
useful persons should not be carried out to the fullest extent, 
but, on the contrary, should be baffled by private animosity. 
In this respect I had already been greatly disappointed and 
grieved on hearing from Mr. Yogel, when I met him on the 
road, that he had gone alone to Mandara, without making any 
use of the services of his companions. I did all in my power 
to convince the two sappers that, under the circumstances in 
which they ^were placed, they ought to forget petty jealousies, 
as it was only by a mutual good understanding that complete 
success in such undertakings could be secured. I succeeded 
in convincing Macguire, although I was less successful with 
Corporal Church. 

Meanwhile, I spent my time in a tolerably useful manner, 
looking over some of the books which Mr. Yogel had brought 
with him, especially M. Jomard's introduction to the transla- 
tion of the " Yoyage au Waday," by M. Perron, and the 
" Flora Nigritia" of Sir William Hooker. I was also conside- 
rably interested by the perusal of a packet of letters which had 
been conveyed in the very box that had been plundered, and 
which, although dating back as late as December, 1851, 
afforded me a great deal of pleasure. Partly in order to fulfil 
a vow which I had made, and partly to obtain a more secure 
hold upon the friendly dispositions of the natives, I made a 
present to the inhabitants of the capital on Christmas day of 
fourteen oxen, not forgetting either rich or poor, blind or 
fdkara, nor even the Arab strangers. 

My residence in the town became infinitely more cheerful in 
consequence of the arrival of Mr. Yogel on the 29th of Decern- 



524 COMMUNICATIONS TO MR. VOGEL. 

ber, when I spent a period of twenty days most pleasantly in 
the company of this enterprising and courageous young travel- 
ler, who, with surprising facility, accustomed himself to all the 
relations of this strange life. But, while borne away by the 
impulse of his own enthusiasm, and giving up all pretensions 
to the comforts of life, he unfortunately committed the mistake 
of expecting that his companions, recently arrived from Europe, 
and whose ideas w 7 ere less elevated, should do the same, and 
this had given rise to a lamentable quarrel, which frustrated in 
a great measure the intentions of the government who had sent 
out the party. Exchanging opinions with regard to countries 
which we had both of us traversed, and planning schemes as to 
the future course which Mr. Yogel was to pursue, and espe- 
cially as to the next journey which he was to undertake toward 
Yakoba and A'damawa, we passed our time very agreeably. 
I communicated to him, as far as it was possible in so short a 
space of time, all the information which I had collected during 
my extensive wanderings, and called his attention to various 
points which I begged him to clear up, especially with regard 
to some remarkable specimens of the vegetable kingdom, and 
the famous mermaid of the Benuwe, the " ayu. " It was rather 
unfortunate that no dopy of the map which had been con- 
structed from the materials which I had sent home had reached 
him, so that he remained in the dark with regard to many 
points which I had already cleared up. I also delivered to 
Mr. Vogel those letters of introduction which I had received 
from the ruler of Sokoto, addressed to the various governors 
of the provinces in this part of his empire, so that he had a fair 
prospect before him of being well received. We, moreover, 
lost no time in obtaining the sheikh's consent to his journey, 
and at the same time caused to be imprisoned Mesaud, that 
servant of the mission who, by his connivance, had facilitated the 
theft committed upon my effects. In consequence of this ener- 
getic proceeding, several of the stolen articles came to light, 
even of those which had formed the contents of the box sent 
from England. 

Thus we began cheerfully the year 1855, in which I was to 



DEPARTURE OF MR. VOGEL. 525 

return to Europe from my long career of hardships and priva- 
tions, and in which my young friend was to endeavor to com- 
plete my discoveries and researches, first in the southwesterly 
direction toward the Benuwe, and then eastward in the direc- 
tion of the Nile. We likewise indulged in the hope that he 
might succeed, after having explored the provinces of Bauchi 
and A'damawa, in penetrating eastward along that highly 
interesting route which leads from Sarawu to Ldggone, round 
the southern border of the mountainous country of Mandara. 

Having obtained, with some difficulty, the letter of recom- 
mendation from the sheikh, and prepared everything that Mr. 
Yogel wanted to take with him, forming a sufficient supply to 
maintain him for a whole year, I accompanied my young friend 
out of the town in the afternoon of the 20th of January. But 
our start was rather unlucky, several things having been left 
behind ; and it was after some delay and uncertainty that we 
joined the people who had gone on in advance with the camels, 
at a late hour, at the village of Diggigi. Here we passed a 
cheerful evening, and drank with spirit to the success of the 
enterprise upon which my companion was then about to engage. 
Mr. Yogel had also taken with him all his meteorological in- 
struments, and his luggage being of a manifold description and 
rather heavy, I foresaw that he would have great trouble in 
transporting it through the difficult country beyond Yakoba, 
especially during the rainy season ; and, indeed, it is evident, 
from the knowledge which we possess of his farther proceed- 
ings, that he either left his instruments behind in the capital of 
Bauchi, or that he lost them in crossing a river between that 
place and Zariya. As for his barometer, which he had trans- 
ported with great care to Kiikawa, it went out of order the 
moment it was taken from the wall. 

Having borne him company during the following day's 
march, I left him with the best wishes for his success. I had 
taken considerable pains in instructing his companion, Corporal 
Macguire, in the use of the compass, as the accurate laying- 
down of the configuration of the ground seemed to me of the 
highest importance in a mountainous country like Bauchi and 



526 DR. barth's departure from ktj'kawa. 

A'dam&wa ; for Mr. Yogel himself could not be induced to 
undertake such a task, as it would have interfered greatly with 
the collecting of plants, which, besides making astronomical 
observations, was his chief object ; and besides, being an ex- 
tremely tedious business, it required a degree of patience which 
my young friend did not possess. However, I am afraid that 
even Macguire did not follow up my instructions for any length 
of time. At all events, as he did not accompany Mr. Yogel 
beyond Yakoba, it seems evident that, even if his journal should 
be saved, we should probably not find all the information with 
regard to the particulars of his route which we might desire 
in such a country ; for, during all the journeys which he has 
pursued, as far as we have any knowledge of them, he relied 
entirely upon his astronomical observations. I will say nothing 
here with regard to the results of this journey, as we may 
entertain the hope that his journals may still be saved, and that 
we may thus learn something more of him than the little which 
has yet come to our knowledge. 

[Dr. Barth was detained in Kiikawa by some business matters, 
and the usual delays of the old sheikh of Bdrnu and his friends, 
till the 4th of May.] 

At length, on the 4th of May, I left the town and encamped 
outside, close in front of the gate. The sheikh had also given 
me another camel, and a young and rather weak horse, which 
did not seem very fit for such a journey, and which, in the 
sequel, proved rather a burden than otherwise to me. In this 
spot I remained some days, waiting for my fellow-traveller 
Kdlo, who was still detained in the town, so that I did not take 
leave of the sheikh until the 9th of the month, when he received 
me with great kindness, but was by no means backward in beg- 
ging for several articles to be sent to him, especially a small 
cannon, which was rather out of comparison with the poor 
present which he had bestowed upon myself. However, he 
promised me that I should still receive another camel from him, 
of which I stood greatly in need. 

Our move from Dawerghii in the afternoon of the 10th was 
very inauspicious ; and while a heavy thunder-storm was raging, 



52T 

enveloping everything in impenetrable darkness, only occasion- 
ally illumined by the flashes of lightning, I lost my people, and 
had great difficulty in joining them again. Having then moved 
on by very short marches as far as Nghunituwa, through a 
finely wooded valley called Henderi Galliram, we pitched our 
tents on the 14th of May near the town of Yd, where, to my 
utmost disappointment, we had to stay the five following days, 
during which the interesting character of the komadugu, which 
at present did not contain a drop of water, with its border of 
vegetation, afforded me but insufficient entertainment. It 
would, however, have been curious for any European who had 
adhered to the theory of the great eastern branch of the Niger 
flowing along this bed from the Tsad, to see us encamped in 
the dry bottom of this valley. At all events, oppressed as I 
had been all the time by the apprehension that something might 
still occur to frustrate my departure, I deemed it one of the 
happiest moments of my life when* in the afternoon of Satur- 
day the 19th, we at length left our station at this northern 
frontier of Bdrnu, in the present reduced state of that kingdom, 
and I turned my back with great satisfaction upon these coun- 
tries where I had spent full five years in incessant toil and 
exertion. On retracing my steps northward I was filled with 
the hope that a merciful Providence would allow me to reach 
home in safety, in order to give a full account of my labors and 
discoveries, and, if possible, to follow up the connections which 
I had established with the interior for opening regular inter- 
course with that continent. ' 

Our first day's march from here, however, was far from being 
auspicious ; for, having met with frequent delays and stoppages, 
such as are common at the commencement of a journey, and 
darkness having set in, the three monkeys which I wished to 
take with me, by their noise and cries, frightened the camels so 
much that they started off at a gallop, breaking several things, 
and, among others, a strong musket. I saw, therefore, that 
nothing was to be done but to let loose these malicious little 
creatures, which, instead of remaining quiet, continually 
amused themselves with loosening all the ropes with which the 



528 



CATTLE-BREEDERS. 



luggage was tied on the backs of the animals. Having en- 
camped this night at a late hour, we reached, the following 
morning, the town of Barruwa, and remained here the whole 
day, in order to provide ourselves with the dried fish which is 
here prepared in large quantities, and which constitutes the 
most useful article for procuring the necessary supplies in the 
Tebu country. The Daza, or Bulguda, who were to join us 
on the march, had been encamped in this spot since the pre- 
vious day. From here we pursued our road to Ngegimi ; but 
the aspect of the country had greatly changed since I last 
traversed it on my return from Kanem, the whole of the road 
which I at that time followed being now covered with water, 
the great inundation of the Tsad not having yet retired within 
its ordinary boundaries. The whole shore seemed to have given 
way and sunk a few feet. Besides this changed aspect of the 




Hamlet of Kanembti Cattle-breeders. 



country, several hamlets of Kanembti. cattle-breeders, such as 
represented in the accompanying wood-cut, caused great relief 
and animation. 



THE WELL BEDWA'RAM. 529 

It was also interesting to observe the Biidduma, the pirate 
inhabitants of the islands of the lagune, busily employed in 
their peculiar occupation of obtaining salt from the ashes of 
the "siwak," or the Capparis sodata. Having rested during 
the hot hours of the day, we took up our quarters in the evening 
just beyond a temporary hamlet of these islanders ; for although 
watchfulness, even here, was very necessary in order to guard 
against any thievish attempt, yet, in general, the Biidduma 
seem to be on good terms with the Tebu, with whom they 
appear to have stood in intimate political connection from 
ancient times. 

[On the 26th of May Dr. Barth reached U'nghurutin.] 

Monday, May 28th. Having spent the Sunday in U'nghu- 
rutin quietly, and indulging in some little repose, we started a 
little after midnight, and did not encamp till after a march of 
about fifteen miles. Another twelve miles in the afternoon, 
through a more open country, broken in the earlier part by a 
few specimens of the tree "simsiin," brought us to the well 
Bedwaram, or Belkashi-ferri, where we encamped at the foot 
of the eastern eminence, choosing our ground with great care, 
as we were to recruit here our strength by a longer stay, the 
well being at present frequented by a number of that section 
of the Gunda tribe of Tebu which is called " Wandala," or 
"Aussa;" for in general the well is by no means a safe re- 
treat, and it seems to have been at this well, or in the neigh- 
borhood, that Corporal Macguire was slain last year when 
returning home after the report of the death of his chief, Mr. 
Vogel. 

[Dr. Barth now proceeded as rapidly as possible, suffering 
considerably in passing through the dreary desert south of 
Fezzan ; and he did not reach the border of that country till 
the 4th of July.] 

Having made this day about eighteen miles, we reached the 

following day, after a moderate march of from nineteen to 

twenty miles, the southernmost solitary date-grove of Fezzan. 

Here we were so fortunate as to meet a small caravan of Tebu, 

'45 2 1 



530 ARRIVAL AT TEJE'rRI. 

comprising a few very respectable men, who brought ns the 
latest news from Miirzuk, where I was glad to hear that Mr. 
Frederick Warrington, the gentleman who had so kindly 
escorted me out of Tripoli more than five years previously, 
was awaiting me, and that the very governor who had been 
appointed to the government of Fezzan during our first stay 
there had a few days before again been reinstalled in that 
office. 

July Qth. This was an important day in my journey, as, 
having performed the most dangerous part of this wearisome 
desert march, I reached Tegerri or Tejerri, the first outlying 
inhabited place of Fezzan. The village, although very small 
in itself, with its towering walls, the view of which burst sud- 
denly upon us through the date-grove, made a most pleasing 
impression, and I could not prevent my people from express- 
ing their delight in having successfully accomplished the by 
no means contemptible feat of traversing this desert tract with 
so small a band by firing a good number of shots. In conse- 
quence of this demonstration, the whole population of the 
little town came out to salute and congratulate me on having 
traversed this infested desert tract without any accident. But 
that was the only advantage that we reaped from having 
reached a place of settled habitation ; and having taken up 
our encampment on the northwestern side of the kasr, among 
the date-trees, we had the greatest difficulty in procuring even 
the slightest luxury, and I was glad when I was at length able 
to obtain a single fowl and a few measures of dates. There 
was, therefore, no possibility of our staying here and allowing 
the animals a little rest, but we were obliged to push on with- 
out delay to the village of Madrusa. But I had the greatest 
difficulty in reaching that place in the evening of the 8th, 
having lost another camel and one of my horses ; and of the 
animals which remained to me, I was obliged to abandon in 
Madrusa another, while I had to pay for the hire of a couple 
of camels to carry my luggage to Miirzuk. 

This was the native place of my servant El Gatrdni, who 



ARRIVAL AT MU'rZUK. 531 

had served me for nearly five years (with the exception of a 
year's leave of absence, which I granted him in order to see 
his wife and children) with the strictest fidelity, while his con- 
duct had proved almost unexceptionable ; and, of course, he 
was delighted to see his family again. Besides a good break- 
fast and a couple of fowls with which he treated me, he made 
me also a present of a bunch of grapes, which caused me no 
little delight as a most unusual treat. However, being anxious 
to get over this desert tract, I started a little after noon the 
same day, and met at the village of Bakhil, about six miles 
beyond, a Tebu caravan, which was accompanied by a courier 
from Kiikawa, who had found an excuse in the state of the 
country to remain absent on his mission to Miirzuk nine 
months, instead of having retraced his steps directly to his own 
country. About four miles farther on we reached Gatrdn, 
consisting of narrow groups lying closely together, and by the 
fringe of its date-grove contrasting very prettily with the sandy 
waste around. 

Here also we were hospitably treated by the relatives of 
another servant, who was glad to have reached his home ; and 
we encamped the following day at Dekir, where we had some 
trouble first in finding and then in digging out the well, which 
was entirely filled up with sand. In two very long days' 
stretches from here, the first including a night's march, we 
reached the well, two miles and a half this side of the village 
Bedan, when we heard that Mr. Warrington was encamped 
five miles beyond, in the village of Yese. 

Saturday, July 13th. Having got ready at an early hour, 
we proceeded cheerfully through the poor plantation, scattered 
thinly over a soil deeply impregnated with salt, and fired a 
few shots on approaching the comfortable tent of my friend. 
I could not but feel deeply affected when, after so long an ab- 
sence, I again found myself in friendly hands, and within the 
reach of European comforts. Having moved on a little in the 
afternoon to a more pleasant spot, we entered Miirzuk the follow- 
ing morning, and were most honorably received by a great many 



532 DELAY IN MU'rZUK. 

of the principal inhabitants, including an officer of the bashd, 
who had come out a great distance to meet us. 

Thus I had again reached this place, where, under ordinary 
circumstances, all dangers and difficulties might be supposed 
to have ceased. But such was not the case at the present 
time ; for, in consequence of the oppression of the Turkish 
government, a very serious revolution had broken out among 
the more independent tribes of the regency of Tripoli, extend- 
ing from the Jebel over the whole of Gurian, and spreading 
farther and farther, cutting off all intercourse, and making my 
retreat very difficult. The instigator of this revolution was a 
chief of the name of Ghdma, who, having been made prisoner 
by the Turks many years before, had, through the events of 
the Crimean war, contrived to make his escape from confine- 
ment in Trebizond. This unforeseen circumstance caused me 
a little longer delay in Miirzuk than I should otherwise have 
allowed myself, as I was most anxious to proceed on my jour- 
ney; nevertheless, I staid only six days. 

Having some preparations to make for this last stage of 
my march, I had thus full opportunity of becoming aware of 
the immense difference in the prices of provisions between this 
outlying oasis of Northern Africa and Negroland, especially 
Kukawa, and for the little supply which I wanted for my 
journey from here to Tripoli I had to pay as much as 100 
makhbiibs. Besides procuring here my necessary supplies for 
the road, my chief business was in discharging some of my 
servants, and more particularly Mohammed el Gatroni, whose 
fidelity I have mentioned before. I added to the small re- 
mainder of his salary which I still owed him the stipulated pre- 
sent of fifty Spanish dollars, which I would willingly have 
doubled if I had had the means, as he well deserved it, for it 
is only with the most straightforward conduct and with a 
generous reward that a European traveller will be able to 
make his way in these regions. 

As for encountering the dangers of the road, the arrange- 
ment of the basha, that a party of soldiers whom he had dis- 



REVOLUTION IN THE REGENCY. 533 

charged, and who were returning home, should travel in my 
company, seemed rather of doubtful effect, as such a company, 
while it afforded a little more security in certain tracts, could 
not fail to turn against myself the disposition of the native 
population in those districts where the revolt against the 
Turkish government was a popular movement ; I was obliged, 
therefore, to leave it to circumstances to decide how I should 
make my way out of these difficulties. The basha for some 
time thought that the only safe course for me to pursue would 
be to turn my steps towards Ben-Ghazi, in order to avoid the 
revolted district altogether ; but such a plan seemed very ob- 
jectionable, as well on account of the greater distance and ex- 
pense of this road, as with regard to the disposition of the 
Arabs of that region, who, if the revolution should prove suc- 
cessful, would certainly not lose a moment in following the 
example of their brethren. 

July 20th. I left the town of Miirzuk in the afternoon, and 
encamped in the plantation, and the next day moved on a short 
distance toward Sheggwa, where Mr. Warrington took leave 
of me. Halting then for the greater part of the following day 
near the village of Delem, and making a good stretch in the 
evening and early part of the morning, we reached Ghodwa, 
with its pretty plantation, and its many remains of former 
well-being. Starting again in the afternoon, and making a 
long stretch during the night, we encamped in the evening of 
the following day at the border of the plantation of Sebha, 
some twenty years ago the residence of the chief of the Welad 
Sliman. Here we staid the following day in order to obtain 
some rest. The heat all this time was very considerable, and 
the thermometer at two o'clock in the afternoon, on an average, 
indicated from 110° to 112°. 

July 26th. A march of from eighteen to nineteen miles 
brought us from Sebha to the small town of Temahint, and we 
encamped a little beyond the well, where a numerous herd of 
camels, belonging to a camp of Arabs, was being watered. I 
was greatly pestered during my halt by a number of Welad 
45* 



534 RETURN WESTWARD. 

Sliman, who were anxious for information with regard to their 
relations in Kanem, and greedy for some presents. 

Making a short halt in the evening, and starting a little after 
midnight, we encamped the following day near Zighen. Here 
I had to hire fresh camels in order to pursue my journey, and 
therefore did not set out again till the afternoon of the follow- 
ing day, when, through the barren desert tract by O'm el 
'abid, and by a very rugged mountainous passage, we reached 
the important town of Sokna in the morning of the 2d of 
August. 

Here the difficulties of my journey, in consequence of the 
revolutionary state of the province, increased, and, after a long 
consultation with some friends to whom I had been recom- 
mended, the only possible way of proceeding was found to be 
that of leaving the usual track by way of Bdnjem altogether, 
and taking an entirely different road by a series of valleys lying 
farther west, the road by Ben-Ghazi also having been found 
impracticable. Sdkna, even at the present time, is a very in- 
teresting place, as well on account of its mercantile activity 
and its fine plantations of date and other fruit trees, as owing 
to the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who still retain a 
distinct idiom of the Berber language ; but at the present 
moment, on account of the total interruption of the communi- 
cation with the coast, the price of provisions was very high, 
and the natives scarcely knew what political course to pursue. 
There was especially a merchant of the name of Beshala, who 
showed me an extraordinary degree of kindness and attention. 

Having therefore waited until the arrival of the "rekas," or 
courier, in order to obtain the most recent news, and having, 
in consequence of their unfavorable tenor, been induced to in- 
crease the wages of my camel-drivers, whom I had hired pre- 
viously, I at length got off on the 12th of August. Pursuing 
the track called Trik el Merhoma, which was never before 
traversed by a European, and passing by the wells El Hammam, 
El Marati, Ershidiye, and Gedafiye, and then by the narrow 
Wadi Ghirza (the place once the great object of African re- 



535 

search for Lieutenant, now Admiral Smyth), with its interest- 
ing ancient sepulchres in the form of obelisks, we reached 
Wadi Zemzem on the 19th. Here there was a considerable 
encampment of Arabs, and some of the ringleaders of the re- 
volution residing here at the time, I found myself in a serious 
dilemma. But the English were too much respected by these 
tribes for them to oppose my passage, although they told me 
plainly that, if they suspected that the English were opposed 
to the revolution, they would cut my throat, as well as that of 
any European traveller who might fall into their hands. How- 
ever, after some quiet explanations with them as to what was 
most conducive to their own interests, and about the proba- 
bility of their succeeding in making themselves independent of 
the Turkish sway, and after having promised a handsome pre- 
sent to one of the more influential men among them, they 
allowed me to pass on. I had also great difficulty in hiring 
some fresh camels, the safety of which I guaranteed, to take 
me to Tripoli. I thus pursued my journey to Beni-Ulid, with 
its deep valley overtowered by the ruins of many a Middle 
Age castle, and adorned by numbers of beautiful olive-trees, 
besides being enlivened by many small villages consisting of 
stone dwellings half in decay. On approaching the place, I fell 
in with a messenger, sent very kindly to meet me by Mr. Reade, 
her majesty's vice-consul in Tripoli, who, besides a few letters, 
brought me what was most gratifying to me in my exhausted 
state, a bottle of wine, a luxury of which I had been deprived 
for so many years. 

I had some little trouble in this place, as there was residing 
here at the time a brother of Ghdma, the rebel chief himself, 
who had sent an express messenger on my account ; and dif- 
ferences of interest between the various chiefs of the place 
caused me at the same time some difficulties, though, in other 
respects, they facilitated my proceedings. Altogether I was 
very glad when I had left this turbulent little community 
behind me, which appeared to be the last difficulty that opposed 
itself to my return home. 



536 'ai'n za'ra. 

In the evening of the fourth day after leaving Beni-TJlid I 
reached the little oasis of 'Ain Zara, the same place where I 
had staid several days preparatory to my setting out on my long 
African wanderings, and was here most kindly received by Mr. 
Reade, who had come out of the town with his tent, and pro- 
vided with sundry articles of European comfort, to receive me 
again at the threshold of civilization. 

Having spent a cheerful evening in .his company, I set out 
the following morning on my last march on the African soil, in 
order to enter the town of Tripoli ; and although the impres- 
sion made upon my mind by the rich vegetation of the gardens 
which surround the town, after the long journey through the 
desert waste, was very great, yet infinitely greater was the effect 
produced upon me by the wide expanse of the sea, w T hich, in 
the bright sunshine of this intermediate zone, spread out with 
a tint of the darkest blue. I felt so grateful to Providence 
for having again reached in safety the border of this Mediter- 
ranean basin, the cradle of European civilization, which from 
an early period had formed the object of my earnest longings 
and most serious course of studies, that I would fain have 
alighted from my horse on the sea-beach to offer up a prayer 
of thanksgiving to the Almighty, who, with the most conspi- 
cuous mercy, had led me through the many dangers which 
surrounded my path, both from fanatical men and an unhealthy 
climate. 

It was market-day, and the open place intervening between 
the plantation of the Meshiah and the town was full of life 
and bustle. The soldiers who had recently arrived from 
Europe to quell the revolution were drawn up on the beach in 
order to make an impression on the natives, and I observed a 
good many fine, sturdy men among them. Amid this busy 
scene in the most dazzling sunshine, with the open sea and the 
ships on my right, I entered the snow-white walls of the town, 
and was most kindly received by all my former friends. 

Having staid four days in Tripoli, I embarked in a Turkish 
steamer which had brought the troops and was returning to 



ARRIVAL AT LONDON. 537 

Malta, and having made only a short stay in that island, again 
embarked in a steamer for Marseilles, in order to reach Eng- 
land by the most direct route. Without making any stay in 
Paris, I arrived in London on the 6th of September, and was 
most kindly received by Lord Palmerston as well as by Lord 
Clarendon, who took the greatest interest in the remarkable 
success which had accompanied my proceedings. 

Tims I closed my long and exhausting career as an African 
explorer, of which this narrative endeavors to incorporate the 
result. Having previously gained a good deal of experience 
of African travelling during an extensive journey through Bar- 
bary, I had embarked on this undertaking as a volunteer, under 
the most unfavorable circumstances for myself. The scale and 
the means of the mission seemed to be extremely limited, and 
it was only in consequence of the success which accompanied 
our proceedings that a wider extent was given to the range 
and objects of the expedition ;* and after its original leader 
had succumbed in his arduous task, instead of giving way to 
despair, I had continued in my career amid great embarrass- 
ment, carrying on the explorations of extensive regions almost 
without any means. And when the leadership of the mission, 
in consequence of the confidence of her majesty's government, 
was intrusted to me, and I had been deprived of the only 
European companion who remained with me, I resolved upon 
undertaking, with a very limited supply of means, a journey to 
the far west, in order to endeavor to reach Timbuktu, and to 
explore that part of the Niger which, through the untimely 
fate of Mungo Park, had remained unknown to the scientific 
world. 

In this enterprise I succeeded to my utmost expectation, and 
not only made known the whole of that vast region, which 
even to the Arab merchants in general had remained more un- 

* This greater success was especially due to the journey which I un- 
dertook to the Sultan of A'gades, thus restoring confidence in our little 
band, which had been entirely shaken by great reverses. 



53S CONCLUSION. 

known than any other part of Africa,* but I succeeded also 
in establishing friendly relations with all the most powerful 
chiefs along the river up to that mysterious city itself. The 
whole of this was achieved, including the payment of the debts 
left by the former expedition, and £200 which I contributed 
myself, with the sum of about £1600. No doubt, even in the 
track which I myself pursued, I have left a good deal for my 
successors in this career to improve upon ; but I have the sat- 
isfaction to feel that I have opened to the view of the scientific 
public of Europe a most extensive tract of the secluded Afri- 
can world, and not only made it tolerably known, but rendered 
the opening of a regular intercourse between Europeans and 
those regions possible. 

* "It appears singular that the country immediately to the eastward 
of Timbuctoo, as far as Kashna, should be more imperfectly known to the 
Moorish traders than the rest of Central Africa." — Quarterly Review, 
May, 1820, p. 234. Compare what Clapperton says about the dangers 
of the road from Sokoto to Timbuktu. Sec. Exped., p. 235. 



THE END. 



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